My Dad wasn’t the biggest Christmas gift shopper, but one year he received a pair of slippers as a gift. Although they were better suited for his feet, he was insistent that I take them back to Minnesota as his gift to me. After I offered some resistance for a bit, “They’re your gift,” “They’re a little too big for me,” – I ultimately thanked him and agreed to take them back to the tundra.
Years later, I’m so glad I did. Every time I look at those slippers, I get to think of my Dad and that gift time and time again. Although they are still a little too big for me and now have edges fraying left and right, they will always be perfect in my eyes and will remain with me for the rest of my life.
For years, I never thought of them more than just slippers, but this year I got to thinking of a bit of a parallel to my relationship with Jesus. Although His death on the cross was His work and His sacrifice, He offered it up freely as a gift of salvation to all who would accept it. Some may be inclined to reject it as a gift they don’t deserve or one that doesn’t quite fit them just right, but what a heavy price to pay. Thankfully, I humbly accepted that gift from the Lord years ago and now have that peace with me for the rest of my life…along with my Dad’s slippers. :)