A Norvell Note
November 30, 2025 – Vol. 29 No. 45
What Do You Want for Christmas?
What do you want for Christmas? That’s the question of the day for children and adults alike, and it’s a dangerous question for me.
My list of wants ranges from someone to pay off the mortgage on our house and our two car loans, to being able to snap my fingers and have another book published, to sitting on my favorite beach enjoying a cup of the best coffee in the world. And a few other things mixed in when I think of them.
That is one list. The other list is more spiritual; hopefully, it does not come across as holier than thou, that is certainly not my intent. My second list is the same as the one the Greeks had in Jesus’ day.
There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: “Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?”[1]
I want to see Jesus in me. For that to happen, I must spend time in the gospels so that I know Him, then I must take what I know and put it into practice. I want to see the gentleness of Jesus in me. I want to see the compassion of Jesus in me. I want to see the love of Jesus in me.
I want to see Jesus in nature. I want to see Jesus on a cool sunny day. I want to see Jesus on a cold, rainy day. I want to see Jesus on a hot, muggy day. I want to see Jesus in the mountains, by the ocean, and in flowers blooming in our backyard.
I want to see Jesus in people. Regardless of their skin color, background, nationality, political views, or the words that come out of their mouths, I want to see Jesus in all people.
I want to see Jesus in the church. I want to see the church love the world as He did. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” I want to see the church love one another as He instructed us: “Love one another as I have loved you.”
What do I want for Christmas? I want to see Jesus so others can see Him and come to know Him.
I love you,
Tom
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2025 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved
[1] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), Jn 12:20–21.