About 40 years ago I was visiting my parents to help out while one of them was in the hospital. It was not terribly long after I’d asked Jesus to be my Lord instead of simply my Savior – as an adult; I’d done that as a child but then turned my back on it. I was filled with the Holy Spirit and such joy as I’d never known. Either as I went to sleep or as I woke up, in my mind’s eye I saw myself rise up out of the bed and very fine gold dust was sprinkled all over me.

I realized that was the love of God symbolized by this costly gold dust. That experience gave me such an appreciation of His deeply personal love. I knew I wasn’t loved more than any other and the experience didn’t make me special, it only reassured me of how very much God loves each of His children.

During the years, I’ve often forgotten about that experience but once in a while it comes to mind – always the same, never changing. When I remember it, I never feel superior or special above any other child of God. Rather, it draws me closer to other people because I realize that whether or not everyone has had such a vision, God regards all of us the same way.

An old saying states, “The ground is always equal at the cross.” In other words, everyone is the same. That doesn’t degrade us; rather it makes each one very special in God’s eyes. Why? Because His Son Jesus Christ died for each one of us so that we may have a relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit may live inside each one of us. Then when we die, our spirits will go to heaven to continue living eternally.

Take a few minutes to simply stop and picture this sight in your mind of very fine gold dust sprinkling down from heaven and going all over you. Gold symbolizes just how expensive it is because the love of God for you and for me cost Him His only Son to die for us. But we were worth it to God. Knowing He feels that way about me makes me want to spend time getting to know Him better and living my life the best I can for Him. Could we ever give our heavenly Father a better Christmas present?