It is said that Christmas is the season for children, and so it is. It is the season for the children of God. At Christmas, we celebrate the Incarnation. We celebrate the Divine’s coming to live and die as one of us to that we might be adopted as children of God. We proclaim Jesus as God’s only begotten Son, but because the Holy One chose to empty himself of God’s glory for us, we become children who may cry with Jesus, “Abba! Father!” As children of God, we may expect the Father to answer our cry with love, sometimes with tough love perhaps, but always steadfast, and with true mercy and compassion.

It may be hard for those of us with aching joints and “snow on the rooftop” to think of ourselves as children, even though we know our parents have always seen us as such. God doesn’t look on our outward appearance, whether or not we have gray hair and wrinkles. The Holy One looks into our hearts when we cry “Abba!” and says, “You are my precious child. I love you. What do you want me to do for you?” Just picture that! God wants to know what is our heart’s desire.

God’s gifts don’t drop down the chimney with a jolly elf. They aren’t wrapped in pretty paper under the tree. They aren’t stuffed in the toe of our stockings. God’s gifts come to us in our hearts. They are always just the right size for each of us. They never have to be returned. They don’t need batteries in order to work. If we open our hearts to receive God’s good and perfect gifts for us, the Holy One transforms us from within so that we delight in sharing our gifts with the world. In so doing, we may find others joining us in becoming children of God and joint-heirs with Christ of the Kingdom of God in this season here and now.