It came without ribbons...

On Friday, I shared some of our past and expected group parties of the season.  The Lifegroup Christmas meeting was a blessing.  So nice to share our home with our new church family.  My walls soaked up the prayers, as we stood hand in hand, circled around our living room, to close the night.

Saturday, when my uncle Ronnie called, surprising us that he was in from Illinois, an impromptu party began to form.  His voicemail invited us to Pizza Hut the next day, a frequent spot for us to gather when he drops in, but I called back with another offer.

Why not just have it here?

Just like my Uncle, he didn't want to impose.  Or cause a mess.

What is there to mess I say? 

Pizza boxes are easy to throw away.

A home is meant for crumbs and dust. 

Meant to be shared.  That is a must.

Meant to be elbow thick with family piled into one room.
For that is how, with family, love grows and blooms.

And so we did...just because.

And what a beautiful Christmas gathering it was.

How could it be so?

It came without ribbons.



It came without tags.



  

It came without packages, boxes or bags.

And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.

 What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store?

What if Christmas,

perhaps,

 means a little bit more?