The Best Gift

The best gift

That I ever got

Didn't really weigh a lot

It didn't have a ribbon 'round

And it sometimes made a terrible sound

The best of all it seems to me

It wasn't neath the Christmas tree

And yet, I guess I'd have to say

That it made all the other presents twice as gay

The best gift that I've ever known

I'd always wanted most to own

Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice

I never thought it could be so nice

The best gift that I ever got

Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet

Was usually pink but oftentimes red

As it lay so innocently in its bed

The best gift of the year to me

The one I hold most dear to me

A gift that simply drove me wild

Was a tiny new born child...

This song is from one of my favorite Christmas albums. I grew up listening to Kenny and Dolly, Amy Grant, the Chipmunks and Barbara Streisand. Quite a mix, I know. They all give me the warm fuzzies. They take me back. I turn 5 again.

Hearing Kenny and Dolly at Christmas just really gets things going for me. It's usually the first cd we pop in. "I'll Be Home With Bells On", brings out our ringing of bells. The kids have started catching on and they'll even shake their make believe bells in the air too.

And who doesn't love Amy Grant as she sings Emmanuel. Oh, the fun you can have with that song! Just ask my sister in law, Traci. We used to drive Cory crazy as we belted this song out from the back of their mini van. Not that we EVER did anything to drive him crazy. NEVER.

Barbara Streisand's rendition of Jingle Bells is my absolute favorite. I just can't sit still when I hear it. You should see my dance. I was playing it for Jackson yesterday and all he could do was smile... not sure if it was from the song or my crazy dancing.

Since having kids, I still love all those songs. They still get my blood pumping. Making me want to spring to the bins and decorate the house. However, there are songs that have become more significant. Songs that bring a tear to my eye. Songs that make me stop and pause.

Barbara Steisand released her Christmas album in 1967. I remember my Mom telling me one time that she used to sing "The Best Gift" to my sister. She was born January 5th of 1973. My parents had tried to get pregnant for years and my sister truly was their best gift. I cannot hear this song without getting teary.

My children are the best gift. They make terrible sounds. They are often times red with frustration. They drive me wild. I cherish them. I'm thankful for them. I'm blessed beyond what I deserve.

I was thinking about this song the other day and thought of Mary. When I was very pregnant with Ella at Christmas I thought of Mary. I cannot imagine. To know that you are carrying God's son. You are carrying a miracle. You. Can you imagine the weight of that? As we've carried our own children, we've thought about their health. Our health. Are we doing everything we can to keep them healthy in there? Are they continuing to grow? Feeling their kicks and hiccups. Can you imagine feeling Jesus kick? Feeling Him as He rolled around. Mary got to. Life was not easy for her. At all. Yet, here she was, a young girl, given the responsibility of carrying Jesus. I can only imagine what her 1st Christmas was like. I know that what I imagine is nothing near what it was REALLY like. Can you imagine? Holding Him. Kissing His head. Snuggling Him close. Protecting Him. Receiving the best gift. Ever.

Having children has given me such a better understanding of God's love for us. It has given me a better understanding of what Mary must have been feeling. I felt young at 24... that was ages older than Mary! What a blessing it is that God sent His son. On SO many levels. Not only because He was sent to earth to show us how to live. To show us how to love. To teach us. To save us. But He has also given us such a tangible understanding of His love for us. Watching my children gives me an idea of what God must see in me. When my children throw fits, I see what God sees in me at times. When my children bring a smile to my face, I pray that I bring one to God's face too. When God sacrificed His son. His one and only. I cannot imagine. I have such a great love for my children and I know that that is just a speck compared to how God feels. It is simply unfathomable.

When I was little, I remember telling my Mom I loved her "this much". I would throw my arms out as wide as I could. To me, that was huge. That was all I could imagine. As a Mom, throwing my arms out wide brings a great hug, but my love for my children is much bigger. The book, "Guess How Much I Love You," took it to a whole new level in my house. We go around the moon infinity times in our house. And that's nothing. Nothing compared to God's love for us. Amazing.

Thank you Lord for loving us so much that you sent your son. Thank you for Christmas. Thank you for music. Songs that make us think. Songs that bring us joy. Songs that help us to better understand. Thank you for giving us such an example of your love. Thank you for our children.

I have many friends who just want a child. Whether they already have them or are just wanting to have one at all, I pray that God blesses them this year. I pray that they would get to see His love for them through their children. I pray for healthy babies and healthy pregnancies. What an incredible blessing.