I Was Disappointed on Christmas

Let me caveat this quick story by saying that my parents were amazing and sacrificed so much to make Christmas magical every year. We got almost everything we wanted (And more) for Christmas even though we were not well off. But in the particular year I’m about to discuss, my desires were a little bigger than their wallets.
 
As a pastor’s kid, we had a huge yard growing up that was connected to the church. It was almost an entire country block (Much larger than a city block). It was the perfect environment for a go-kart. So, for this Christmas, I put a go-kart on my wish list. Because I had always gotten what I asked for, I thought it was a sure thing. Unable to sleep on Christmas Eve night, I overheard my dad outside fiddling with something. It had to be a go-kart! The excitement built! Then I heard an electric air pump, obviously pumping up the go-kart tires. These crazy parents had done it again. It was all but a sure thing!
 
The next morning, we opened all our Christmas gifts and there was no go-kart under the tree, but I was no dummy. How would they get it inside? It was too big! It was going to be outside and saved as the pièce de résistance. After opening all the presents my dad said, “There’s one more thing outside!” This was it, the moment of my dreams! We got outside and I started scanning quickly for a go-kart… but there was none to be found. My dad then rolled out a red 4-foot rubber ball. Internally my heart sank. I was so disappointed. I didn’t want to be a jerk, so I tried to act excited, but I’m sure they could tell I wasn’t genuinely thrilled. There is a happy ending to this story, while I eventually got a go-kart, it would be hard to keep running, but that ball became one of my favorite toys ever.
 
We have all had a circumstance where we were not excited by our gifts. Especially when you’re a kid, it can be hard to deal with reasonably. As adults, life is a little more complicated than Christmas gifts. Our disappointments get bigger, hurt deeper, and become more impactful. Tomorrow we’re starting our new Advent Series “Grace in a Manger” by looking at a faithful couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth. They learned to trust God in the middle of decades of disappointment. If you need hope this Christmas, this story is for you! I hope to see you in worship tomorrow for our first week of Advent.