A boy was getting ready to have his birthday. A BIG birthday celebration 

was planned for him. 

Everyone was invited to come.

   However, everyone was  told 

 to NOT bring a gift. 

He was so excited!!

FINALLY

the day was here!

He waited and waited  and waited and waited  for everyone to come. 

 The party began.  They ran races and played

games.  

                              They sang Happy Birthday and ate cake and ice cream!

 Then the time came to open gifts!!

There was a BIG pile of them...BUT

No one had brought a gift!

Where did these gifts come from???

Everyone gathered around the boy whose birthday they were celebrating to watch him open the gifts. 

He picked up a gift, looked at it. Then instead of opening it, he said, “This one is for Mary".

Everyone was confused as the boy handed the gift to Mary.

???

Everyone received a gift except

the boy whose birthday they were celebrating.

He did not get a gift. He gave all the gifts away.

Then he picked up another gift and said," This one is for John and this one is for Mike”  until he had given a gift to every child.

No one undestood what was going on. It wasn't their birthday! They all looked at him and said, “This is your birthday celebration and you are giving all the gifts away to us. That is crazy!! WHY??

The boy looked at them and said,

”Because... these are not my gifts. They are yours. 

Yes,  We are celebrating my birthday, but I wasn't born to receive gifts. I was born to give gifts away. 

Let me explain. 

These gifts come from my father.

 He has given them to me so I can give them to you”.

The kids were amazed at what he was saying, but they also wanted to open their gifts. So they shouted, “Can we open them now”? Yes, ” he said, “but first let me tell you this”. 

As he was talking, they saw that he wasn't a boy anymore.

 Now he was a man. 

So they listened very 

closely to what he was 

saying. 

“The gift that each of you has 

been given today was chosen 

by my father just for you 

because he knows exactly 

what gift each of you need.”

So the kids starting tearing open the gifts. 

As they opened them, everyone got very quiet. 

Looking very puzzled, one girl said,  “My gift is love?”.

Then a boy said, “I got joy?”. 

What kind of gifts are these??? 

They very confused and disappointed with their gifts.

Some of the gifts were love,  joy,  peace,  patience,  

 self-control,  forgiveness....

                  What kind of gifts are these????

Then a girl surprised everyone by saying, “I got the gift of LOVEI. I really need this gift to help me LOVE others better. “

Then a boy said,” I got the gift of PEACE . I have been upset and worrying a lot lately. I really need this gift of PEACE”.

 Then another said,”I need the 

gift of forgiveness because someone

hurt me and I need to forgive them”. 

Someone else said,

 “ I need this gift of  self  control.

.  I have been mean to my brother.

   I need self-control to 

   change my behavior.” 

Everyone discovered that the gift they received was one they really needed to make their life better.

The kids  realized that these gifts were very 

special. They were not gifts you can buy in a 

store or make for yourself, so they asked, 

He answered,  “remember?

My father has given them to you.”

“But, we want to know why”, they said.

“where did theses gifts come from ?

“Because, my father is your father, too. Because he loves you so much,  he sent me into this world to give you all His gifts.

” One boy exclaimed, 

“He sent you into this world??

  Where did you come from”?  

                                                         Actually, I came from

                                                         Heaven where I  live 

                                                         With my father.. One  

                                                         day he said to me:  

 “

I have a job for you. I am sending you into the world to show my children there how much I love them. You will be born as a baby and become a man. You will teach everyone about me and give to them all that I have given to you.” 

One kid jumped up and said, “Cool, I think I get it. That is why we are at this party celebrating your birthday because you were born just like us. And now you are that man giving us these special gifts. “