The Packaging

I love beautifully wrapped presents, but somewhere over the years the practical me stopped buying bows and ribbons.  The main reason for the lack of luster in my Christmas wrappings is because I'm cheap.  That is followed closely by the extra time it takes to tie up and decorate the packages.  And let's not forget, less to clean up which works nicely with my personal life goal of making everything in my life as simple and uncomplicated as possible..for ME!

With these three things always before me, the frills were set aside many years ago, for the cheapest and quickest form of wrapping.  Still, I will admit, I do love to see Christmas trees with all those coordinating packages displayed neatly around the bottom of the tree.

There really is something to be said about the packaging.  The mystery of a box wrapped in pretty paper draws the eye and creates wonder as to what could be hidden inside.  On Christmas morning, all those beautiful packages are an amazing thing to behold,  just not at my house.   

However, when it comes to the packaging, God and I have something in common...the simpler the better.  

When God's gift to all mankind burst on the scene, the surroundings were a stable, livestock, and a feeding trough.  When God's gift was laid in a manger, the descriptive words were lowly, stripes of cloth and no room for them.  

There was no pretty-paper, bows or ribbons found in Luke 2:6-7.  

So it was, that while they were there, 
the days were completed for her to be delivered. 

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, 
and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths,

and laid Him in a manger, 
because there was no room for them in the inn.

The greatest gift that has ever been given came with the simplest of packaging.  In fact, Isaiah 53:2 takes it a step future in describing the packaging.          

...He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

It's an amazing thing when you think about it.  The very words of Isaiah were meant to tell us how simple the packaging really was, but those words never fail to stir my emotions because I don't see the package that way.  

To me the packaging is quite the opposite.  He is the epitome of the word beauty and majesty and I am even more drawn to Him and in love with Him for the simplicity of the packaging.     

In a few days, the Christmas paper will be flying through the air and when that happens, it won't  matter if your presents were designer trimmed or dollar store wrapped.  

But now and forever, there is one special gift, one very special gift where The Packaging really does matter.

...He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Yet, we do!