I know I've already written posts about Jesus Christ in the past, but with Christmas coming next week, I can't imagine writing a post about the miracles in my life and not writing about my Savior. I love Christmas because it is a time to renew my commitment to Jesus Christ and evaluate my priorities. The miracle of Christmas does not lie in the presents that rest under the tree or the treats and surprises that stuff the stockings. The miracle of Christmas lies in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us all.

As I contemplate the miracle of Jesus Christ's life, my heart is filled with gratitude for the life that He led. Although His entire life taught us many lessons, I feel like some of the most profound and important lessons that He taught come from His final hours here on earth. He was sentenced, over a true criminal, to die upon a cross. Little did these individuals know that this man whom they accused  had just suffered for the sins, trials, and afflictions of all mankind. Among those were the sins, trials, and afflictions of those very accusers. Can you imagine giving someone the greatest gift that you could possibly give, only to have them turn against you and sentence you to death less than a day later? Being the natural man that I am, I would be extremely upset and bitter! The Savior, however, teaches us a beautiful lesson through His reaction to this event.

Though He could have easily been angry and bitter at those who convicted Him to a torturous death, He chose the higher road. He chose to love and to forgive. The Savior did not say much while He was on the cross, but what He did choose to say taught us the importance of loving and forgiving everyone - even those who do not want or even recognize the need for our forgiveness. Did those individuals need His forgiveness? Of course they did! Did they recognize that they needed that forgiveness? Probably not. However, the Savior recognized that He needed to forgive them. He left this world in peace because He brought peace to those around Him. He left this world as a loving person because He chose to love those around Him. He left this world as a perfect person because He chose to keep the commandments perfectly.

The Savior taught us that we have control over our divine destiny and who we ultimately become. By what we choose to do in this life, we shape who we ultimately become. Jesus Christ is a miracle in my life because He helps me become better every day. The memory and record of His example inspires me to reach beyond myself and strive to be more like Him. My relationship with Him through prayer gives me the power that I need to improve and become a better person.

I rejoice in my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the Redeemer of my soul and the giver of the greatest gift I've ever been given. The Christmas presents we give and receive will fade away or break, but the gift our Savior has given to us will never leave us.  No matter how many times we fall, or how many times we break, His gift is always there and waiting to make us whole again. His is the gift that helps us reach our divine potential, just as He did.

I know that Jesus Christ came once, and He will come again. I pray that my life can be a miracle and a gift to Him, for I know that this is the greatest gift we can give.

The following is a tribute to the life of Jesus Christ, written by the Prophet and Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I would invite you to read it, as it is the perfect reminder of what we celebrate with each passing Christmas.

 http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/testimonies-of-him/articles/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints