God provides.

And often God provides in seemingly small ways. I say seemingly small because what seems small in the grand scheme of things can mean a great deal in a moment of need.

Already over the last few days we have received some seemingly little gifts. Gifts that perhaps weren’t a burden for the person giving but bless us enormously—to a degree that the person giving will likely not realize.

And we are thankful.

Of course, Christmas is a time for celebrating a seemingly small gift—that of an infant child born in a nowhere town and who, because there was no room anyplace else for him and his parents, was born in a barn (or perhaps a cave?) and had a feeding trough for a cradle. Seemingly small, seemingly insignificant, but infinitely profound for all that. A vast universe of meaning is found in the humble and vulnerable cry of this baby son. A gift that seems small, that involved no strenuous effort on behalf of the Giver, is the Gift, for in this case the Gift is the Giver come our way, into our mess, for our sake.