🎄❤️🎄Today, we’re on Day 4 of our Christmas Countdown. Today’s Countdown talks about something everyone loves – gifts!

Hope it blesses & encourages your heart.❤️

(For those who are just joining us: each day, I’ll be posting from one of our YouVersion Christmas reading plans each day throughout December. I hope this helps each of you to feel less discouraged or alone…especially with the pandemic…and like you have a friend encouraging your heart during this very tough time of year.)

🎄🦌🎄 Day 4🎄🦌🎄

As children, most get really excited about Christmas because that’s the time of year you receive gifts!
As you get older, you still enjoy receiving gifts…but you begin to see true joy comes from giving to others.

On Christmas morning, as a parent, I would always share how special it was that it was Jesus‘ birthday – and He loves us so much that He allows us to receive and open gifts on HIS birthday.
I also made it a point to focus on teaching giving gifts to others, such as Angel Tree or other ministries, was a true blessing…and also showing gratefulness and thoughtfulness towards family and friends by baking treats and passing out treat trays.

Gifts are definitely unanimous with the Christmas season, so the question is: how can we allow Jesus to be “a gift” to others through us? And how can we be an absolute gift to Jesus to show Him how extravagantly thankful we are for Him and the joy of His birthday?

Perhaps we can donate toys to Angel Tree, sponsor a family who is in need, donate Christmas dinner to someone we know has fallen on hard times, encourage those who are experiencing deep grief this Christmas season, do something special for our closest family and friends, bake treats for or send cards to our family, friends, and neighbors, host a holiday tea or Christmas party for those who need extra love and encouragement…
…and if finances are tight, there are many ways to be a blessing to others as well: daily praying for loved ones, speaking words of life, encouragement, and comfort to others, writing a heartfelt letter of gratefulness to loved ones, sharing the Reason for our hope, or calling – or better yet, video calling – with loved ones to stay in touch…there are so many ways and opportunities we can be “a sweet gift” to God and those around us this Christmas season!

Jesus was so amazing to give us Himself as the greatest gift we could ever imagine. Let us be so mindful of extending that precious gift to family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and others God places on our hearts!

🙏🏻Prayer: “Dear Most Gracious Heavenly Father, thank You so much for giving us the Best Gift of all! I pray You would make each of us aware of how we can be an extravagant gift to You and others this holiday season. Give us fresh ideas of how to extravagantly love, celebrate, relax with, and enjoy You, our family and friends, and how to best encourage and serve those around us! Thank you for all of the good gifts we have and enjoy in our lives (especially all of the “little” things we may daily take for granted), and may we always realize just how many great gifts we have exclusively just in knowing You. In Jesus name we pray, Amen!”

💗Read: James 1:17, 1 Peter 4:10

⭐️Activity #1: Think of a special gift you can give to Jesus this Christmas. This is exclusively between you and Jesus, so ask Him to guide you on how to best express your love, creativity, and gift(s) to Him.

⭐️Activity #2: Consider how you can be a gift to your family/loved ones this Christmas season. Ask God which family & friends need love & encouragement from you.

This devotional © 2018 by Kim Niles/Grief Bites. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

🦌🎄❤️🦌🎄❤️🦌🎄❤️🦌🎄❤️🦌🎄❤️🦌🎄❤️🦌🎄❤️

©2020 Grief Bites. All rights reserved.

❤️If you were encouraged by this post, please feel free to share it to encourage others!

⭐️For more encouragement:

❤️Making peace with God: http://www.peacewithgod.net

❤️Getting Your Breath Back After Life Knocks It Out of You (Kim’s book): https://www.christianbook.com/getting-knocks-transparent-journey-seeking-through/k-b-h-niles/

❤️Connect on Facebook by “liking” page: https://www.facebook.com/GettingYourBreathBackAfterGrief

❤️Kim’s blog: https://www.griefbites.com

❤️FREE YouVersion reading plans:

1. Grief Bites: Finding Treasure In Hardships: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/912-grief-bites-finding-treasure-in-hardships

2. Grief Bites: Doubt Revealed: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/954-grief-bites-doubt-revealed

3. Grief Bites: A New Approach To Growing Through Grief https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/862-grief-bites

4. Grief Bites: Hope For The Holidays: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/1964-grief-bites-hope-for-the-holidays

5. Experiencing Holidays With Jesus: Christmas: http://bible.com/r/3V5

6. Experiencing Holidays With Jesus: Happy New Year!: http://bible.com/r/3Zv

7. Valentine’s Day: Experiencing Holidays With Jesus: https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/14059-valentines-day-experiencing-holidays-with-jesus

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⭐️⭐️All content on the Grief Bites blog and website is for encouragement purposes only and is not in any way to be construed as medical, emotional, mental, relational, or psychological advice. We hope to serve as a bridge to encourage others by sharing our personal grief and life experiences. Please contact a qualified healthcare professional, mental health professional, or qualified pastor for guidance and advice.