Unbox it!

Thelittlebigthings; Christmas edition.

Last year, 2019, I spent Christmas day in the hospital with two children, a boy and a girl. I had finished my posting in Paediatric surgery and moved to General surgery III (GS3) about a week before I learned that a distant relative had suffered burns.

The day I visited, frankly, I went to clerk. Paediatric surgery holds record as my least pleasant unit so far, and I didn’t have my four cases yet, so I clerked, and then we got talking and became friends. I noticed though that the boy on the neighboring bed would groan in pain intermittently, so I went to see him before leaving.

As I spoke with him, I learned he’d been in there for about a year, and he wasn’t healing, he had an accident and his leg was in a cast. Barely ten years old, raised by a single parent, his pain was more than physical. I prayed with him and left.

In about a week, he had been moved to a space opposite my relative. He was healing.

I stopped by everyday after rounds to see them both; it was refreshing for me, the joy that they exuded from being alive and the rate of their recovery, a sharp contrast to the depression that lingered on the corridors of the male and female surgical wards.

Some days to Christmas the boy had hinted off-handedly that he was sad that he’ll spend Christmas alone, so after attending service in church, I hurried to see him, and my relative (with gifts). He was so happy, he almost leaped out of the bed.

After the “How-are-you”s and all, he asked me “Aunty, did you wish Jesus a happy birthday today, because birthdays are very important?” It took a few seconds before I said “Yes”. In those seconds, I quickly wished Jesus “Happy birthday” because in truth, I had forgotten to do so.

I was so focused on getting gifts for the children, spending time with them, and all that, and I totally forgot the essence of Christmas—Jesus Christ.

So, this year, because I knew I had work to do, work that started on 24th December, 😂 the first thing I did when I woke on 25th was to whisper “Happy birthday, senior man!” I was even blushing on His behalf sef. 😂

And then I went on to help my mother cook, I attended church, volunteered at a medical outreach, and shared love via phone calls.

Funny how we can get so distracted by wrapping sheets that we forget to open the gift.

So, this boxing day, I thought to remind you to unbox the greatest gift we could ever receive.

For God so loved the world, that He gave… Unbox with love! ❤️

Merry Christmas to you!

• GJ.