It was Christmas day 1964; I was 8 years old. Santa had delivered the presents, and the excitement was just all too much. My three siblings and I woke up while it was still dark, raced to the lounge room, and opened the glass sliding doors to reveal the true magic of Christmas in all its splendor. We knew Santa was real because he’d eaten the fruit cake and drank half the beer we poured before we all went to bed the night before!
It was only later in life that I began to appreciate the incredible sacrifice my parents made year after year. They must have worked like trojans to get all the presents wrapped, packed, and placed under the real Christmas tree after we went to bed. And they didn’t even get the credit! What a rip off!
Anyway, that year was really special for me because I got my first three-wheeler bicycle. It was bright red and it was fast. Well, to an 8-year-old, anything was fast compared to how quick my legs could move. I took it out for a test drive on our tiny McGregor Street where we lived, and oh, the exhilaration and the unbelievable sense of joy I felt. I was so thankful and proud in that moment.
Looking back now, I see the delight I felt as a child is the same delight God takes in every one of us when we acknowledge that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights. Yes, that’s right. Instead of thanking a make-believe Santa Claus (apologies to anyone who still believes), I could’ve been thanking the one and only living God at that time and every day of my life ever since. That’s why I’ve included this song for your enjoyment from James 1:17. James 1:17 – “Every Good and Perfect Gift”.