The Christmas That Taught Me About God’s Good Gifts
No. 95 - How motherhood, faith, and watching my kids open presents revealed the deeper joy of God’s plan.
My favorite part of Christmas this year wasn’t the food or the lights or even the rare quiet moments in between the chaos. It was playing Santa Claus.
There was something deeply satisfying about staying up late, arranging gifts, and imagining the look on my boys’ faces the next morning. I know them intimately—what makes them laugh, what they’ll ignore, what they’ll obsess over for weeks. I’ve spent so much time with them that choosing their gifts felt less like shopping and more like curating joy. I knew exactly what would light them up.
And on Christmas morning, it did. Watching them tear into the things I picked out specifically for them—things I’d thought about, compared, debated, and wrapped with intention—filled me with a kind of joy that surprised me. Seeing them happy made me happy. Simple as that.
But as I sat there on the floor surrounded by wrapping paper and squeals and half‑assembled toys, I felt something else too: clarity.
Because in that moment, I realized how often God has done the same for me.
I can look back at my life and see so many moments—so many “gifts”—that were clearly planned by Him. Things I never would have chosen for myself, or even known to ask for, but that ended up bringing me more joy, growth, or peace than anything I could have orchestrated on my own. His plan has always been better than my plan, even when I didn’t understand it at the time.
Motherhood has taught me so much about the character of God. Not in a theoretical way, but in a lived‑in, everyday way. When I think about how much delight I get from giving my kids good things—things that fit them, things that bring them joy—it makes verses like Matthew 7:11 hit differently:
“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
If I, with all my flaws and impatience and exhaustion, can still love my children this deeply and want good things for them, how much more must God love us?
And on the flip side, motherhood has also helped me understand how His heart breaks over the things happening in this world. When my kids hurt, I hurt. When they’re confused or scared or struggling, I feel it in my chest. It’s impossible not to. So of course God feels that for us too—only deeper, wider, more completely.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I used to read that as a promise of getting what I wanted. Now I read it as a reminder that God knows me better than I know myself. He knows what will bring me joy. He knows what will shape me. He knows what I need.
Just like I knew what my boys needed on Christmas morning.
And the older I get, the more grateful I am for the gifts I didn’t pick out myself.
💎 I was influenced by Marina Cooley and added this bracelet to my Christmas list and I absolutely love it. It’s so stylish and the perfect accessory.
🥕 We made this roasted carrot salad with arugula for my husband’s birthday last week. We paired it with some grilled lamb lollipops and it was a perfectly festive dish!
📖 My husband gifted me this coffee table book for Christmas and I am obsessed. It’s a look through all of Michelle Obama’s looks throughout her years in The White House. It’s stunning and an incredible look back into history.
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Happy Friday, Friends! I hope you all have a great weekend!
