The Best Christmas Ever
When Christmas Became About Giving Jesus
Walk with me back to a Christmas when I was searching for something more than presents, decorations, and holiday traditions. What began as a simple prayer for real joy became an unforgettable journey that showed me what it could mean to truly give Jesus for Christmas.
Story by Dr. Lana Wynn Scroggins
For many years, Christmas was something I worked hard to make special, yet somewhere in all the shopping, decorating, cooking, and trying to create the perfect holiday, I realized something was missing.
One year, months before Christmas arrived, I began asking God to show me how to experience the real joy and meaning of Christmas. I had no idea that His answer would lead me into an adventure I would never forget—and eventually become part of something much bigger than that one Christmas.
Every year around August, I begin to dread Christmas and its accompanying human expectations. Memories of not-so-good childhood Christmas experiences, along with the stress and expectations of the season, start to creep in.
One August day, I began praying daily for God to show me a way to find real meaning and joy in Christmas. After weeks of praying the same prayer, one day in October, I felt God ask, “Do you really want to know how to enjoy Christmas?” I responded, “Of course, that's the prayer I've been praying every day.” Then God spoke to my heart and said, “When you give Jesus for Christmas, you will have the best Christmas ever!” And that was it!
Well, that was interesting, but how do I do that? I really had no clue what it meant to give Jesus for Christmas. So, I began to pray again. I felt like God took pity on me and decided to help me out because I just couldn’t figure it out. God started giving me words for some letters that were about Jesus being born on Christmas Day.
Next God said, "Find a child who needs Jesus for Christmas. Go to the store and buy a manger scene and use the letters to tell the story about Jesus coming for Christmas.
Excitedly, I went to my friend's house, burst through the door, and shouted, "I know how to have the best Christmas ever!" They looked at me like I was from another planet and had lost my mind. Trying to be nice and not wanting to say what they really thought, they asked me what I was talking about.
I told them how God answered my prayers by showing me to give Jesus for Christmas. They exchanged confused glances, trying to be polite. Soon, they would understand.
While traveling with another friend to buy the manager scene, I told her the story about Giving Jesus for Christmas. She loved the story so much that she immediately said, "I want my children to get Jesus for Christmas." I told her ok and ended up including 8 children that first Christmas. Each night 10 days before Christmas I would drop off a wrapped package and a letter from Jesus on the doorstep of each child's home.
The next morning at work, my friend’s brother exclaimed, “You won’t believe what happened! Last night, someone left a box on top of my daughter’s car. Inside was a piece of burlap and a letter from Jesus.” Intrigued, I asked for more details. He shared, “My daughter was so impressed when she opened it because she had prayed the night before alone in her room for God to show her, He was real. Then, she found the box on her car the next morning from Jesus, and she knew no one else could have known about her prayer.”
Excitedly, I explained Giving Jesus for Christmas to him, and he was deeply moved. At that moment, I knew Giving Jesus for Christmas held a special significance, capable of bringing Jesus into the lives of many children. Finally, on Christmas Eve, all the packages had been delivered each night to complete the manger scene and the last gift the kids would open was Jesus on Christmas Day!
What a great and glorious Christmas day! God's words rang true: "If you give Jesus for Christmas, you will have the best Christmas ever." That year, Giving Jesus for Christmas proved to be the most awesome experience, I still have many fond memories of that Christmas. Best Christmas ever!
Take a quiet moment to think about what Christmas means to you. Beyond the traditions, expectations, gifts, and preparations, consider where Jesus is in your celebration—and how you might share His love with someone else.
- What expectations or past experiences sometimes make it difficult for you to experience joy at Christmas?
- What is one simple way you could make more room for Jesus in your Christmas celebration?
- Who could you “give Jesus” to this Christmas through an act of love, encouragement, generosity, or by simply sharing His story?
Sometimes we can become so busy trying to create the perfect Christmas that we lose sight of the One we're celebrating. I had spent years allowing expectations and difficult memories to steal some of the joy from the season. What changed wasn't Christmas itself—it was where I placed my attention.
When I began asking God to show me the real meaning of Christmas, He turned my focus toward Jesus and then toward giving that gift to others. What began with one prayer eventually became an experience that filled Christmas with a joy I hadn't been able to manufacture on my own.
Maybe Christmas has become complicated for you too. You don't have to create a perfect holiday. Simply make room for Jesus. Sometimes the greatest joy comes when we stop asking what Christmas can give us and begin asking how we can give Jesus to someone else.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Jesus,
Thank You for being the greatest gift of Christmas. When the season becomes busy or expectations begin to steal my joy, turn my heart back toward You. Help me remember that Christmas doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful. Show me simple ways to share Your love, hope, and joy with others. May everything I do this Christmas point my heart—and the hearts of those around me—back to You.
Amen.
The best Christmas begins when Jesus becomes the heart of it.
The Christmas Story — Luke 2:1–20
Take a few quiet moments to listen to the story of Jesus' birth from Luke 2:1–20, read by Dr. Lana Wynn Scroggins. Let these familiar words bring your heart back to the greatest gift of Christmas—Jesus.
It's a Hallelujah Day
Giving Jesus
Dr. Lana Wynn Scroggins
Dr. Lana Wynn Scroggins is a Christian writer, author, and storyteller who loves sharing the ways Jesus meets us in the ordinary, difficult, and unexpected moments of life. Through Giving Jesus, Lana creates stories, devotionals, music, Bible studies, and other faith-filled experiences designed to help women spend time with Jesus and recognize His presence in their everyday lives.