Kate Prior made the front page of this morning's Wall Street Journal, but any of us could have been in her place. She is a 28-year-old monitor of drug trials who must enter eight computer passwords each morning to begin her day's work. Each must contain at least eight characters, and all must be changed every three months. How does she remember them all? She has them written on a blue Post-It note affixed to her computer. She knows that her system is not exactly what the security professionals had in mind, but she doesn't care. The alternative is just too bothersome.

If only it were that easy to break the security surrounding Christmas buying. The Journal today profiles the annual Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog, with its 60 limited edition 2005 Maserati Quatroportes (all of which sold in four minutes); $8,000 hand-encrusted crystal versions of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head; and a $20,000 customized suit of armor. None seems just right for my wife and family. Perhaps I should buy Janet one of the new recliners customized for women. The Journal shows pictures of the slimmed-down models in colors like raspberry. Archie Bunker would be horrified.

It's every guy's dilemma. We drive by the malls each day, knowing that one day we'll have to go in there. We don't know what to buy, and are pretty sure that whatever we get won't be right. We could ask, but it's not the same as figuring it out ourselves. We can ask the sales clerks, but they'll just show us the most expensive gifts they think we can afford. If we ask our family's friends, it will somehow get back to them. We know that it's the thought that counts, but we can't think of any.

So we put it all off as long as possible, hoping for inspiration to strike. But it doesn't, so the last week (or day) before Christmas we trudge through the stores with other equally shopping-impaired guys. Fortunately, our wives and families will kindly pretend to like whatever we buy. We know it's just mercy applause, but we're grateful.

Gratefully, God knew what to get us for Christmas. His present is "the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). His choice seems strange until we remember that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). So he got us a Savior, the One who would die in our place, pay the penalty for our sins and failures, and cancel our debt so we could be forgiven and receive eternal life in paradise. His Gift wasn't what we wanted at the time--we were thinking more along the lines of a military conqueror and political ruler than a personal Savior. But it was just what we needed.

We need his gift still. Have you opened yours?

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