Puchinello and the Most Marvelous Gift

Meet the Wemmicks... Max Lucado's fictional display of humankind. I can identify with the Wemmicks because they are incredibly serious about all of their silliness. They live near their Maker, the Woodcarver, yet have minimal interaction and respect for him throughout the year. But this time of year is different. It is time for Maker-Day. A day devoted solely to paying respect to their Maker and honoring His creative hands and His relentless kindness.

Enter the serious silliness... Puchinello goes throughout Wemmicksville in search of the perfect gift to give the Maker on Maker-Day. He is bombarded with all kinds of elaborate attempts by the Wemmicks to be the BEST PART of the Maker-Day Festival. The baker has to climb a ladder to get to the top of his cake, the florist's festival bouquet stood taller than her entire shop, and the musicians had prepared a giant, gaudy instrument called the Marvellophony-organoni to ornament their musical tribute to the Maker. 

Just having you with me is enough...These were the words etched into Puchinello's memory as he searched for the best gift. The Maker had already expressed His satisfaction with the mere presence of His creation as His gift on Maker-Day. When the Maker-Day Festival arrived, all the extravagant plans went awry and they village was left with a broken instrument, a destroyed cake and droopy flowers. At the face of disaster, the crowd went quiet and a flute played gently in the distance. A young girl's sweet, tiny gift provided a continuing simple, heartfelt melody that spread throughout the village in honor of the Maker. Puchinello was able to apply his simple song to the melody and a great choir emerged out of the once silent, dejected villagers.

What a most marvelous gift... A gift developed out of disaster. A gift so simple, it can be shared by all. A gift with no glitz nor glam, but a gift with pure, untainted motive and respect for the recipient. Are you trying to impress this season? Have you forgotten the authenticity of our Christmas gift, Emmanuel? Have you considered our Maker's desire for our presence in the midst of this celebratory season? How can we gather together and lift up our voices to the all deserving Maker. How can we simplify our Christmas to claim the peace that Jesus promises to us. How can we sift through the well-meaning, yet unfocused attempts to provide the MOST MARVELOUS GIFT this Christmas season? Why can't BEING with our Maker suffice? May we all remember that the MOST MARVELOUS GIFT has been given and that gift beckons us to come and receive every Christmas... every year... every day of our seriously silly lives.