Toy Packaging

Toy Packaging.

Just those two little words strike fear into the hearts of moms & dads, grandmas & grandpas, aunts & uncles around the world.

As Brett and I were wrapping gifts this past week, there was a temptation to de-box, de-twisty-, de-band, de-staple and de-shrink-wrap a few of the toys.  But what is Christmas morning without a pair of scissors lost somewhere in a sea of wrapping paper and an impatient three-year old demanding, "I play it now!"??

Exactly.

It just wouldn't be Christmas if Brett wasn't sitting over in the corner quickly and efficiently freeing Polly Pocket pieces from their packaging and trying not to snip a finger or lose a precious miniature shoe in all the trash.  Thanks, Honey.  You're the best.

This is such an familiar aspect of the Holidays, that Sara Groves wrote a wonderful little song about it.  Proof that toy packaging is a universal frustration for the families of the world!


Toy Packaging

By Sara Groves and Ben Shive

Nothing makes me loose my cool like Toy packaging Ask the kids to leave the room for Toy packaging I have no choice the money's spent I've worked for hours to make a dent I guess it's anger management Toy packaging Nothing makes me lose my cool like toy packaging Ask the kids please leave the room, it's time for toy packaging I'm drawing up a battle plan To extricate this Robot man My self-esteem is in the can Toy packaging In the old days you could hold a box and shake it And hear the pieces rattling around My eyes tear up at these grommets, tape and twisty ties Remembering that beautiful sound Nothing makes me lose my cool like toy packaging Kids you need to leave the room, mom's opening toy packaging I'm sorry you have to see this sight You must be brave, no please don't cry I promise it will be alright I hope to have it by tonight ... Never mind this dynamite Toy packaging Isn't that awesome?  In the background of the song are noises of sawing and hammering and Sara desperately hollering, "Honey!"  It makes me smile even now. With as much plastic, wires and tape that go into the packaging of toys these days, you almost get the impression that they don't want you to be able to open it and enjoy it.  It's almost like the goal is to make the item within the box utterly and completely unreachable. "Yep.  It's just what you wanted.  It was even on your Christmas list.  Isn't it amazing?  What?  You want to open it?  And play with it?  You actually want to touch it? That's absurd!" God is the exact opposite.  His gift of salvation is utterly and completely accessible!  There are no twisty-ties holding it captive.  There are no itty-bitty bits of plastic holding it contained.  There is no packaging tape keeping it sealed.  There are no plastic bags keeping it prisoner. God's gift of Jesus is open, inviting and ready to be experienced.  No scissors required. It's exactly your size, it's what you've always wanted and ... it's just what you need. Go ahead.  Take it, open it and enjoy it.  It's yours.