KANDI FARRIS: Don't judge a gift by the wrapping

Have you pulled out the boxes, the bows and the lights? As for me and my house, it's a wrap.

Well, not quite. I wrote this missive many years ago, but it continues to be a blight in my Christmas. My hands shake even thinking about the whole wrapping thing. I've bought the gifts, a whole lot of wrapping paper, ribbon and tags. The only thing left to do is get some tape and the energy to begin. Wrapping is not my gift, no pun intended.

My kids were totally embarrassed growing up. When they took gifts to friend's parties, everyone knew who brought the gift. I'd usually get caught waiting until the last minute. There would be no wrapping paper to be found. So I'd scramble around trying to find a substitute. Usually the newspaper's cartoon page was the winner.

Everyone else's presents looked like a pro had spent hours beautifully arranging them and then adding an exquisite bow to complete a picture, perfect presentation.

I tried, y'all. Back when the kids were little, I would get the store's gift wrapper to make things look like someone knew what they were doing. Only by the time I'd get it home, odds were the kids would've crushed it scrambling into the car.

At Christmas, not a box stood a chance. Even if I didn't put a name on it, the little ones and big ones alike would shake it, and peel the tape back trying to sneak a peek. I know, I know. I should have been a better protector of the box and its packaging, but my philosophy was the thing was going to be ripped open anyway.

Now that my life doesn't have the demolition crew living under the same roof as the packages, Christmas is going to be different. I'm going to strive to bring out the bling and wrap my gifts with flair.

You might ask, how in the world is this a "that'll preach" moment. Well, what's in the box is the most important thing. All the bling in the world, all the bows and bells can't change the contents. I know that God is interested in what's in the heart. Scripture says "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Even though our packaging fades with time and we aren't wrapped as tight as we used to be; I am so thankful that we can say with the Apostle Paul, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day "

Thank goodness for God's gift-wrapping, Isaiah says it best "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness " Now, that my friends is a wrap.

Kandi Farris, a freelance correspondent, also is a speaker on matters of faith and values.

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 7:30 PM with the headline "KANDI FARRIS: Don't judge a gift by the wrapping ."