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The
Gift of Love
William
Sydney Porter (under the pen name of O. Henry) wrote a
short story entitled The
Gift of the Magi, first published in 1906.
The story is about a young husband and wife,
Jim and Della, who were rich in love but quite poor
financially. Jim
was making $20 a week and after rent and groceries,
the couple had little money left and Christmas was
only a day away.
Both
Jim and Della had possessions of which they were quite
proud. Jim
had a gold watch that had been passed from his
grandfather to his father and finally to him.
And Della?
Della had long, beautiful hair.
Della
wanted desperately to buy a watch chain for her
husband’s gold watch.
Yet despite her very best efforts to save up
money, she only had $1.87.
But then it suddenly dawns on her a way in
which she could get some more money.
She went to a woman who sold hair products and
asked her if she would buy her hair.
The woman paid Della $20 for her hair, just
enough for Della to amass the $21 needed to buy the
watch chain for her husband....
Della
is excited about the gift that she has purchased for
Jim, but she is also concerned about his reaction to
her having her hair cut off.
Her fears are intensified when Jim comes home
and stares at her in disbelief and bewilderment.
She explains to him that she sold her hair to
buy a nice Christmas present for him.
Jim tells her not to worry; nothing can change
his love for her.
There
was an additional reason for Jim’s shock at
Della’s actions than the change of her physical
appearance. One does not learn of this reason until Jim presents a gift
to Della that he has purchased for her.
Della
unwraps the gift and discovers a set of beautiful
combs. Della
had seen these combs in a store window and yearned
over them, but had resigned herself to the fact that
she could never afford them.
Now she had them for her own, but her beautiful
hair in which she could wear the combs was gone.
Della’s
disappointment is overshadowed by the joy of giving
Jim her present.
She eagerly presented Jim the watch chain only
to discover that he had sold his watch in order to
purchase the combs for his beloved wife.
EACH
of them had sacrificed their most precious possession
out of love for the other!
O.
Henry’s beautiful story reminds one of the love of Another
who gave His most precious “Possession” in order
to demonstrate His love for YOU and for ME.
“For
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
God
gave His GREATEST possession in order to meet
our GREATEST need:
SALVATION from SIN!
ONLY the death of the sinless Son of God could
atone for
the sins of the world (1 John 2:2).
In
order to enjoy the blessings of His great Gift, we
must accept it on His terms by: believing
in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from our sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confessing
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins
(Acts 2:38).
“Thanks
be to God for His indescribable GIFT” (2 Corinthians
9:15).
Won’t
YOU
respond in
loving obedience to Him who loves US so much?
–
David
A. Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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