The last few weeks, we have talked quite a bit about giving and receiving presents. We’ve talked about the motivation for giving gifts (love) and how the only way we can truly love others is by God’s grace in our lives. We have talked about receiving gifts with a thankful heart (although I haven’t yet done the thank you notes with the children that I intended to a few weeks ago).

I have been praying for our home to reflect the joy and peace that marked Christ’s coming so long ago. It’s been hard this week, because I’ve been sick and rather irritable. I’ve had to ask forgiveness of my children more than once, and I probably need to ask it again after they wake up from their nap.

Here is the question I want to discuss with them next, joyfully:

Is Heaven better than Christmas?

Of course, the answer is yes. In fact, it gets better. Christ is better than Christmas.

It’s the reference point that seems useful to me. For a child, presents and candy and parties all in the space of a few weeks is overwhelmingly wonderful. How much better is Christ? In this way, the whole holiday becomes a metaphor and teaching tool, of tremendous value because the excitement is accessible to children. Here is the passage I keep thinking of:

But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”—

these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12Now^(U) we have received not^(V) the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.I Corinthians 2:9-12

You can sense the excitement and anticipation in this passage. We can’t even imagine what God is preparing for us, but God has given us His Spirit, and has promised that He will help us learn and understand all those wonderful things about our Savior.

Christ is all in all.

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