by Michelle Medlock Adams
Our white elephant family gift exchange on Christmas Eve is something we look forward to all year, and we start shopping for that perfect gag gift on January 1. You might say, we take our white elephant gift exchange seriously.
Last year, my son-in-law Micah ended up opening my gift—a singing, dancing Christmas tree with big, googly eyes. His exact words when he opened it and turned it on… “Scary. This is truly terrifying,” he said. “Thank you so much.” I have to admit, it was a little off-putting, which is part of the fun!
I, on the other hand, ended up with the gift my other son-in-law Wesley brought. Wes is a hunter, so his gift to me? Deer urine. Because nothing says “Christmas” like deer urine, right?
Some families buy sweet, nice gifts that anyone could enjoy. Obviously, that’s not us. We buy crazy, comical, and always hilarious gifts, and honestly, I thought everyone’s white elephant gift exchanges were like ours. I found out the hard way, that’s not the case when our women’s Bible study group had its first white elephant gift exchange. The only instructions were posted in the church bulletin, “Please bring a gift costing less than $15.” I remember thinking, “Wow, you can get a lot at Goodwill for $15!” So, I found a Billy the Bass wall mount that sang “Take Me to the River,” and I wrapped it beautifully. I couldn’t wait to engage in a night of hilarity.
But that’s not exactly how it played out. As the gift exchange progressed, and people were opening their chosen gifts, one by one, I soon realized I might have missed an important piece of information. Apparently, we were supposed to bring a NICE gift that any woman would love, not a gag gift. Woman after woman opened wonderful candles and fuzzy slippers and beautiful Christmas ornaments. I opened an adorable houndstooth-print scarf. And then…I saw a lady go for my present. My heart was pounding so hard and so fast that I was sure everyone could hear it.
Just play it cool, Michelle. No one will know you’re the one who brought Billy the Bass.
She carefully unwrapped it, gave an awkward smile, and held it up for all to see.
“It’s a…it’s some kind of singing fish, I think,” she mumbled.
Dead silence.
Not even a snicker.
I wanted the earth to open up and swallow me, but thankfully, the game moved quickly, and we were on to the next gift in just a moment. But that was the longest moment of my life.
I just couldn’t let that woman go home with Billy the Bass—not when every other woman had a real gift. I planned to go and “steal” it from her when it was my turn again, insisting that my hubby would love it because of his obsession with bass fishing, but I didn’t have to do that after all. Another lady beat me to it, saying, “My grandson will love this! I must have your Billy the Bass!”
Whew! I had escaped without anyone knowing I’d been the idiot who brought a gag gift to a nice white elephant gift exchange, and everyone went home happy.
I was so thankful!
You know what else I’m thankful for today? That when we come to Jesus, it isn’t a “luck of the draw” kind of white elephant gift exchange. Instead, it’s the best gift exchange ever! We give Him all of our sins, worries, and “junk,” and He gives us salvation, freedom, eternal life with Him, peace, love, joy, and so much more! And you know how in most white elephant gift exchanges, there’s always one gift that everyone wants because it’s the best item? So, everyone “fights” over that one gift, stealing it from its current holder, time and time again. It’s not like that with God. He has enough of “the best” to go around. You don’t have to fight for it. He gives it to us freely. What a deal!
Whether or not you’ll be participating in any white elephant gift exchanges this year, I hope you’ll participate in this one—give others the gift of Jesus. Share your testimony with your unsaved friends and family if the opportunity presents itself during this holiday season, and if you haven’t ever asked Jesus to be the Lord of your life—you can do that right now. Just pray, “Lord, I confess that I’ve sinned and that I need a savior. I believe You died on the cross for my sins, and I’m so grateful. I ask You to be the Lord of my life today. I love You, Jesus. Amen.”
The gift of salvation.
Now, that beats any white elephant gift!
Michelle Medlock Adams is a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter and the author of over 100 books. Earning 90-plus industry awards, including the prestigious 2023 ECPA Gold Medallion Children’s Book of the Year for Our God Is Bigger Than That!, Michelle loves encouraging others with God’s Word. Learn more at www.michellemedlockadams.com
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