by Danisse Abberger
ZEELAND, MI – I love nothing more than to open up my Instagram page and watch the stories and posts of my favorite fashion bloggers. I follow girls that are about my height and size and they let me know what’s new at stores and what’s on sale. The bloggers even have try-on posts where they describe the article of clothing and how it fits and feels. Better yet, they usually have a link that I can click to purchase the item from the comfort of my own home! They do all the work for me! As a busy mom of 4 and pastor’s wife, it’s been a game changer because I don’t always have the time to go shopping and try on clothing. My husband may not think it’s a Godsend, but I sure do!
Mid October, I saw a trend that troubled me. Many of these bloggers were posting Christmas gift links early because they said that many of the items were going to be hard to find closer to December. The result of the pandemic were fewer products made over the past year, and half and cargo ships stuck at sea due to labor shortages. The bloggers were urging followers that if they needed an item for Christmas, they needed to buy early so that they could have it in time. They seemed to insinuate that your Christmas may be ruined if you were not able to fulfill your families’ wish list. I found this thinking so disheartening.
As a people we have forgotten what we are celebrating. As nice as it sounds, Christmas is not about family and friends. It’s not about Santa Claus. It’s not about a naughty or nice list. It’s about the birth of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our God sent His one and only Son on Earth for us. Jesus dwelt among us and felt every feeling we have felt. Jesus experienced what we have experienced. “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering….” Isaiah 53:4. He paid the ultimate price and died for us so that we can have the gift of eternal life. “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
He is with us! Not only can we go to heaven but we were also given the Holy Spirit. Our God in His infinite wisdom knew that not only did we need saving, but we needed access to Him 24/7. We were given such a gift that is something to truly celebrate!
So maybe it's not so bad that we won’t be able to find that special gift in the store? The lockdowns were not fun, and were very inconvenient for many families. But one nice thing from the lockdowns was that we were given the gift of time. Families were able to slow down and spend time together like never before. We were able to reevaluate and take notice of how busy our lives had become and take note of what really matters.
Perhaps this supply shortage at Christmas can do the same. Families will stop and reflect on what’s the real reason we celebrate. Parents will be given the opportunity to teach their children that gifts are nice, but we have been given the best gift of all. It’s not a gift that could get stuck out at sea on a ship, and it’s not a gift that will ever run out. It’s our Savior. It’s our Jesus. It’s our Immanuel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Danisse Abberger is a church planter’s wife (Hope Church in Zeeland, MI) and a mother of 4. Her favorite pastime is going to the beach with her family.