What is the best gift you can give, or receive, this Christmas? I read a story that I think is a perfect illustration as to what the perfect gift looks like at Christmas.

A public elementary school was having a Christmas pageant. Of course, there was nothing religious about it; only snowmen, reindeer and the like. The kindergarten class was to sing a song named, “Christmas Love.”

Each child had a large letter to hold up as they sang the song. There was the “C” which stood for Christmas, and there was n “H” that stood for Happiness and an “R,” and so on. The children would continue this until they had they held up letters that spelled, “Christmas Love.”

During the pageant everything was going well until the small girl who held the letter “M” raised her sign.

In a few minutes the other children began to giggle and the audience laughed as the song kept going on. They were laughing at the little girl who held up the letter “M.” When the last letter was raised and the song came to end, the laughter died down, and there was a hush over the audience.

That little girl with the “M” had mistakenly held the letter upside down to make a “W.”

The laughter ended because the mistake was no longer funny, but now very meaningful.

The message these children held high said, not “Christmas Love” as intended, but, “Christ was Love.”

The greatest gift we could ever receive has been given to us by God above.

He gave His Son, Jesus, who offers us love, peace and deliverance from the oppression and condemnation of sin. He brings joy to the world because salvation is given freely to all mankind.

Sharing this good news with our family, friends and neighbors is the best gift we can give. That is true Christmas love!

Del Loy is pastor of Crosspoint Church in Natchez.