Gift List

Every year, like clockwork, the Wish Book from Sears, Roebuck & Co. arrived at our house. This several hundred page book was filled with such magnificent things, I would sit captivated for hours in amazement and wonder. Amazement that somewhere such fantastic toys were created and wonder as to how I could ever get my hands on them! A Wish Book, to be sure!

I would sit for hours contemplating each page. Well, okay, I skipped right through the Barbie stuff and the Easy Bake ovens and anything, generally speaking, that came in hues of pink. But all the other stuff was fair game. After my initial scanning, I would begin to methodically work my way through each section, making a mental note of the items that fit my liking.

The next pass through the book was the "intent" phase of my planning. This was the stage in which I consciously chose the toys I wanted. Dog-eared pages were the indicator to all parental gift-buying units that these were the pages to which high consideration was to be given. There was no need to mark the items with ink for the drool spot on or near the picture was sufficient marking.

From the dog-eared stage, I progressed into "fantasy" phase. Here I would play with each toy with vivid imagination in my mind until it felt like I actually owned the gas-powered Cox airplane or the really cool water pressure powered rocket set (I actually was given the rockets, but they never flew as high in real life as they did in my imagination).

Eventually, I don't know if the Wish Book ceased to exist or if I simply grew out of my fascination with it. But one day I noticed its absence with curiosity and wonder. What happened to my obsession with the Wish Book and my unwritten gift list?

In this season of gift giving, I wonder what we would want for Christmas if Jesus sent out a Wish Book? If a catalogue of spiritual "wishes" arrived on your doorstep, for what would you wish the most? What section might you simply skip through with little or no regard whatsoever?

I'm curious about what we'd ask for given the opportunity. Do you know what you would wish for? What is on your grown-up (spiritual) Christmas list this year?

You showed favor to your land, O Lord;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.
You set aside all your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger.
(Ps. 85:1-3)