I recall exchanging Christmas gifts in my kindergarten class. The gifts were all mixed up and we could pick which one we wanted. I picked the biggest gift with the fanciest wrap and the wildest bow! When I opened it up, I was very disappointed to find...a very ordinary puzzle. Sometimes, things appear to be dazzling on the outside, but the contents prove otherwise. And sometimes, a shabby exterior can house a unique little treasure. 

Some years ago, my husband Scott, and I had our third child. We were going to stop having children after two, but the Lord seemed to continually nudge me about having one more. Finally I told Scott about this gnawing in my heart to have a baby. I would be 37 years old and I was growing fairly comfortable with the way things were. So this would require change for us. Scott suggested that we pursue God's will, and within a few months I was pregnant.

Over the next nine months, Scott and I prayed earnestly for a healthy baby and for a smooth delivery. But deep in my spirit, I sensed something would be different this time around. I wasn't sure what, but I knew the child I was carrying was the result of our obedience to God. 

Shortly after the birth of our baby girl, the doctors announced that little McKahl had Down's Syndrome. I was perplexed and overwhelmed. We were in ministry and I couldn't help but wonder if we had sinned in some way and that God was punishing us. Then more questions infiltrated my mind. How would we meet her needs? What kind of future would she have? How would I continue to home school and give my other two children the attention they would need? How would I be able to continue ministering in our church? Most of all, why did God choose us to raise such a child? The voice of the Lord in those dark hours of confusion was faint, but I did hear Him say this loud and clear, "She will be a blessing to you. Trust Me."

Of course our situation is very different from Mary's, but I wonder if her feelings and questions were much the same on that first Christmas night. How will I raise the King of Kings? Who am I to be trusted with such a monumental task? What kind of future could He possibly have with a poor family like ours? Surely Mary, though obedient and very willing to undertake this calling on her life, had doubts. Certainly she had moments of wishing she could just have a "normal" child in a "normal" way, with a "normal" man. And Joseph must have had mixed emotions as well. I am to adopt a boy conceived by the Holy Spirit? What will people say? How will I provide for Him? What can I teach the Savior of the world?

God's blessings often take on strange disguises. They are gifts without the traditional wrapping and bow. In fact, God's gifts come with little flash. Yet, as we accept and claim each gift as one from a loving God, we find that underneath the unimpressive wrapping, a gem awaits.

After the news sunk in, Mary and Joseph probably began to wonder about this royalty that would infiltrate their family. Wow! They would parent the Messiah! But upon delivery, a royal was not a fitting description of this child at all! Their little King of Kings was born in a stable. Their Savior's bed was a trough. Their God-given child was wrapped in strips of cloth - not purple silk or other fine linen. Maybe Mary expected more - trumpets blasting, people shouting "Long live the King," a humbled Herod on his knees, an infant's crown complete with rubies, sapphires and emeralds, or a fine feast in His honor. But none of these things happened. Instead, Jesus was a poor carpenter's son. One day, He would hang among thieves, half naked, with blood dripping down his bruised body and words of mockery hanging above his head. This He endured while paying the price for the world's sin. Mary never bargained for a gift like that. But when her son rose from the grave that Sunday morning, you can be she understood the rich blessing graciously given to her 33 years earlier.

For many of us, the path God chooses for our lives may seem far-fetched at first. It may be undesirable or even distasteful. It may bring years of challenge, even hardship. But God's blessings often take on strange disguises. They are gifts without the traditional wrapping and bow. In fact, God's gifts come with little flash. They may appear even primitive at times. Yet, as we accept and claim each gift as one from a loving God, we find that underneath the unimpressive wrapping, a gem awaits.

For our family, that gem is McKahl. Society may have aborted her. Some parents may have boxed her up and shipped her off for someone else to raise, like some unwanted gift under the tree. But every day we come to see how rich we've become through a chid we would never have chosen for our own lives. Although McKahl is very different from the norm and we have to endure stares at the grocery store and occasional comments like, "Hey, you have a Mongolian Idiot," we can honestly say that we wouldn't have her be any other way. When she snuggles into my neck while sucking her thumb, tells me a story in gibberish, begins to fling her arms wildly every time music is played, wrinkles her nose at green beans, or when she smiles at me during her therapy sessions, I sense God's grin while He whispers, "I knew you'd love her!"

Whatever your life holds, take time to be grateful when the unexpected arrives. Jesus Christ loves us so much and His gift of peculiarity often becomes the richest gift of all. 

~ By Martha J. Konitzer