“Thank God for His indescribable gift…” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
I find it difficult to top the Christmas I experienced when I was 12 years old. It changed my life.
Like every other Christmas season, it had been an expectant December, filled with anticipation of things that only happened once a year. Unlike today, we had to wait for those blessings, and they only occurred during those magical moments leading up to a climactic Christmas morning.
My brothers and I had been lobbying our parents for a specific and special gift that summer. However, it had been dashed with a dose of reality when our parents told us we could “never afford” anything like that in our family. I remember giving up our big dream for smaller, lesser ones that would still be exciting if they happened on the 25th.
Our normal traditions found us getting dressed and heading to the Christmas Eve service at church. It was what we always did. Sing some Christmas songs. Watch the younger kids act out the Christmas story. Listen to Luke 2. When the service was over, we would grab a paper sack filled with goodies* as we ran out the back door into the alley to head to our grandpa’s house, a half a block away.
After what seemed like an eternity of just sitting and listening to old folks talk, we would load the station wagon and head across town to home. It was all predictable and much of the same year after year. My brothers and I still always shared the excitement of what we would find under the tree. After all, it was Christmas, and we knew something would be there.
When we piled out of the car that night, it was dramatically different. My oldest brother led the charge into the house, following my dad, who held us back from seeing the tree and the gifts. As we backed into the house, we turned around, and there was a brand-new Honda 70 motorcycle parked in our back room with a big red ribbon. The dream gift had arrived after all! I have no idea what sacrifice my parents had to make to get that dirt bike, but it would prove to be eventful.
That night, our lives took a different direction as the three Wiebe boys fought to see who would ride next. We rode day and night until it completely broke down. Our parents had no idea that we would love it that much. It eventually led us to a career in off-road racing, which culminated in numerous championships and a professional riding career at the highest level. That gift changed our lives for the next 7 years and helped us grow into courageous young men.
As memorable as that Christmas was, and as many memories that were built because of one motorcycle, it will never compare to the gift of Jesus in my life. Like many others, I grew up attending church, listening to songs, hearing verses, and trying to figure out what it all meant.
In the summer of 1981, my life perspective changed. That was the first time I walked onto the Kanakuk property. Coming down Lakeshore Drive at night, stumbling past the fountain to the K1 office, and trying to find my way to the girls’ gym began to help me understand the true gift I had been given. My bible study leader invested in me. My co-counselor and I ran together and memorized scripture. My kids in cabin 14 helped me see what it really means to be I’m Third. It was more than I could imagine.
The privilege of being on summer staff that year jump-started my journey with Christ, which has led to over four decades of seeing Him not just change the hearts and lives of countless campers, but also transform my own life. I am more thankful for my salvation today than I ever have been. I am more in love with Jesus and understand how great my need is for Him every single day. He truly is the “indescribable gift.”
My prayer is that we can have the same magical, expectant heart every day that I had on Christmas when I was just 12 years old, as I saw a gift that has impacted and affected me for so many years. Are you and I excited about the gift of our salvation? Then let’s celebrate, rejoice, and be thankful. Most importantly, think of someone who has never received that gift, and share it with them as we near the day of honoring our Savior’s birth.
Thank God for lavishing His saving Grace on our lives and allowing us to give the gift of hope to those around us. May that gift amaze us, change us, and direct us every day God gives us the opportunity, whether inside or outside our camp gates.
*The paper bags, also known as Tüte, are a German Mennonite holiday tradition and usually are filled to the brim with unsalted peanuts, one Mandarin orange, a piece of chocolate, and a package of Juicy Fruit gum.
Ward Wiebe
K-West Director
