Thursday, December 22, 2011

What Are You Giving This Christmas?

I want to share this great blog from Laurel Christensen. First, I adore her! Secondly, she is doing with her life some of the "things" I want to be doing with mine. This blog really hit home with me. It is meaningful and I want to record it here on my blog.--hope she doesn't mind that I copied and pasted it?!
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WHAT ARE YOU GIVING THIS CHRISTMAS?
Laurel Christensen
December 22, 2011
You know that much loved Christmas tradition where people decide what gift they are going to give the Savior for Christmas? Often, it’s written on a piece of paper and tucked away for review the following year.

I’ve always thought that was a nice tradition—but I’ve never taken the time to do it.

I spent last weekend in St. George, UT. I was there to speak at a fireside for a great group of young women and decided to make a little weekend retreat of it.

I met with an amazing trainer down there (the one that taught me not to be “the one thing standing in my way”) for two 2-hour sessions. It was a good reminder I can do things that I couldn’t have done when this journey began. After the second session, I made my way to the
beautiful Snow Canyon of Southern Utah. I had a race to compete in. But, this wasn’t a race with anyone else at the start line, or the finish line. This wasn’t a race with a race t-shirt or a cheering crowd. This was just about me running—just for the sake of running. Just because I wanted to. Just because I could.

And something really interesting happened while I was running. I caught a little glimpse of my future life.

Now, this wasn’t some grand revelation or vision. It didn’t last for more than a minute or two and I couldn’t tell you many details. But, I could see—and feel—who I am becoming. And I sensed that God was pleased with my direction. I was overwhelmed with a feeling of peace. And gratitude.

And for some reason, that got me thinking about the aforementioned Christmas tradition—giving a gift to the Savior. It felt like a tradition I needed to participate in this year.

And then, I realized that’s exactly what I had been doing…and what I must continue to do.
When I think of all the gifts we could give to the Savior this Christmas, it strikes me that perhaps the gift He really wants most is for us to become who we are meant to become—and who we can ONLY become—through Him.

I once heard it said:
What we are is God's gift to us.
What we become is our gift to God.

So, if you’re looking to offer a gift to Him this Christmas, give Him the gift of YOU…willing, believing, determined to become who you were meant to be…YOU.

Perhaps that’s really all He’s ever wanted…and the only gift we can really ever give Him.

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