Several days ago, God began blessing my daughter and me through a most unexpected, yet very generous & simply unbelievable, way.

Last Wednesday, December 14, we were greeted with a beautiful basket containing candy, ornaments, and other amazing goodies and a card that contained the following excerpt…

“Dear Leah and Anna,
This is the beginning of your 12 Days of Christmas! Consider all these gifts, as they have come from the lavish love of Jesus. You both are in His thoughts continuously and also in the thoughts and prayers of many of the saints. You are both loved beyond measure. I know that this Christmas will be remembered as the 1st one without Chris…but also remember it as the Christmas season that prayers, grace and gifts were lavished on you both!”

The note continued to say that we should check our porch each morning from now through December 25!

Blog friends, I’m struggling to even type this post, because the tears are literally pouring out of my eyes right now. The very Sunday before all this began, I asked the ladies in the Sunday School class I teach to share their most memorable Christmas gift ever received (aside from Christ’s gift of salvation). Little did I realize that my most memorable gift was coming later that week.

This has literally blown my mind.

Not because the gifts are so amazing (even though they are).
Not because it’s created a sense of sweet excitement in our home this first Christmas without my amazing husband (even though it has, and the excitement is helping us cope).
Not because I think I deserve any of this (because I know I most definitely do not).

It’s blowing my mind, because I feel extremely loved right now. Extremely loved. When life is most difficult (as it has been these last 7 1/2 months since Chris’ death), knowing you are loved isn’t enough. You need to feel it…see it…taste it…touch it…hear it. Friends, I have done just that!

I have no idea the identify of these Christmas Angels among us. Just when I think I’ve figured it out, I’m thrown a little off track again. I need to quit trying to figure it out…I know…I know.

I simply pray that this is blessing my gift-givers as much as it is Anna and me. I pray that the Lord bestows immense blessing and favor on each hand that was involved in this. And…to my Christmas angels (I pray you’re reading this)…you will never fully know the depth of this blessing! You have made this widow’s heart sing (Job 29:13b NIV).

I really can’t think of any reason why God continues to bless me like He does. There are so many other people that deserve blessing far more than I do.

There are women experiencing their first Christmas as a widow and are even more lonely than myself.

There are so many unemployed moms and dads this Christmas, praying like crazy that someone…anyone will provide Christmas for their little ones.

There are Christian brothers and sisters across this continent being persecuted for worshiping the same Jesus whose birth we so openly celebrate in the United States.

There are disabled veterans that continue to be plagued by the harsh indifference they receive from their “fellow” Americans day in and day out.

There are still orphans praying for a mommy and/or daddy.

There are loved ones, in the care of Hospice or family members, anticipating their last breaths.

There are homeless men, women, and children that just crave a roof over their heads.

There are still infertile couples that would give anything to see the pregnancy test declare “positive” this year.

There are hurting moms and dads praying their prodigal son or daughter would choose this Christmas to come home.

There are drug addicts and alcoholics that would give anything to be clean and sober…forever…but are waiting on that miracle to get them there.

There are victims of cancer, still waiting to hear the word “remission”.

So, why me? Why does God continue to bless undeserving me?

Honestly…I think it’s for the same reason He gave His life for me 2000 years ago. His love for you, for me, and for those yet to come is already 100% complete. There is nothing we can do or not do to make Him love us any less or anymore. We just have to say “yes” and “thank you” to that love!

In the same way, I choose to say “yes” and “thank you” to His blessings. Some days, His blessings are obvious and enormous. Some days, they are much harder to see.

I don’t know why He chose me, and I don’t know why He continues to bless me so much, but I’m eternally grateful that He did then and that He still does now!

I love you, Lord Jesus!