Dear Maggie,
Welcome to this year’s Methodist Church Advent and Christmas campaign: Gifted. Together, we’re exploring what it means to recognise the gifts God gives us and to see ourselves, and each other, as gifts too.
Let’s begin with something simple but deceptively deep: you are a gift. Honestly. Not in the ‘wrapped up with a shiny bow’ way (though if that’s your vibe, we’re not judging), but in the ‘this world is better because you’re in it’ kind of way.
On Sunday 30 November one of the Bible readings, Psalm 122, imagines an idealised Jerusalem as a city of peace, a gift for all people. And in Matthew 24:36–44, Jesus says: be ready. Not in a panicky, last-minute-shopping way, but ready to live as the gift you already are.
Think about it. Every time you’ve listened when someone needed to talk or sent that quick “thinking of you” text, or even just offered the last biscuit instead of taking it for yourself: you’ve been a gift.
So this week, when life feels a bit chaotic, take a moment. Breathe. Remember: God’s already wrapping you in grace. You don’t have to wait to be perfect before you can make a difference. You already are a gift.
