Love is a tired word.  Nowadays it’s used to describe a positive emotion towards anything.  For example, “I love pizza,” or “I love these new shoes.”  But the confusing thing is that people also say, “I love my little brother,” or “I love my Grandma.”  So does that mean they feel the same way about pizza as they do their Grandma?  (Just asking…) It makes me feel like we should rate love on a scale of 1-10.  If we love popcorn at the movies, we’ll give it a 3; a great day spent with friends we’ll give a 7; and the love we have for our family-a solid 10. At least if we put the word ‘love’ on a scale of 1-10, it wouldn’t seem like we love our children as much as we love a good hamburger.  (Just saying...)

There’s one place where love is off the charts.  It’s God’s love for us.  His love can’t be put on a scale; it’s too big to contain.  John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,  that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Can you imagine,  God sending His one and only Son to earth as an innocent baby?  On that beautiful night so long ago, love came down to us.  What a gift!  Although not everyone knew the significance of Jesus’ birth at the time, the angels certainly did.  “Suddenly there was with the angel a company of the heavenly host praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and good will toward men.'” (Luke 2:12-14) Let’s remember that the best gift we ever received wasn’t wrapped in Christmas paper, but was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem.