What Can We Give As Our Gift To Jesus?

What Can We Give As Our Gift To Jesus?

Eileen Renders         November, 2023

   Every Christmas we are filled with joy just knowing that our Savior was born into the world with one purpose, which was to save us from sin. He was raised by His Carpenter stepfather and His Virgin mother Mary. Yet He always knew He was born to save us, and God the Father sent Him to us. Jesus suffered immensely on the Crose and even before His crucifixion, such as His agony in the garden. But He said to the Father; “Thy will be done.”

   Personally, I have often wondered how to show my gratefulness to God for His great love, yet it took me a very long time to come to a reasoning. He gave us so much of Himself, what did I have to give back to Him? After much contemplation, one day I thought about what I could give to Him of myself that would be pleasing and I realized that there was something indeed.

   Thinking of how we are all given free will, we often abuse that will through sin. Knowing that this hurts God, I decided that I wanted to give back to Him my free will. In Mass and right after Holy Communion, I would cover my face with both hands and ask God to please, please, take back my free will and replace it with His will for me. In making this offering to God, I felt I would be less likely to sin and become more pleasing to Him. This was my offering for many years every Sunday. I would ask God to lead me, to guide me, and to correct me. With a sincere heart, I no longer beg Christ to take my offering as I realize that He already has.

My life has changed in many ways. Often, I feel I am being led through an inner gentle urging to do something that I had never thought of doing before. A service, such as visiting seniors living in a Nursing home, or teaching a CCD Class for my church. As a writer and author, my preference for writing has become teaching and sharing about how the love of God moves us in mysterious ways. There is a huge sense of inner peace when we realize that we belong to God and He is leading His sheep. The graces God gives to us for wanting to please Him, to sacrifice for Him, and to serve Him are too numerous to mention.

   We will never be able to give nearly as much to God as He gives and has already given to us. And life itself can be short as it is of course temporary, therefore there is no better time than today to give Him our all.