Dear Friend,

My eldest daughter recently shared with me a conversation she had with her younger brother. It went like this:

Daughter: What are you getting Mom and Dad for Christmas?

Son: I think a picture of myself.

Daughter: You can’t get them that. (trying to suppress laughter)

Son: Why not?! (genuinely offended)

Daughter: Because that’s not a real gift.

Son: Dude, I don’t think you understand. Mom and Dad really like me. Like, a lot.

My daughter and I had a good laugh over her brother's healthy sense of self-worth. While his sister may have mocked the gift idea, as a mother, I found it delightful.

And yet, beneath the humor is something deeply human—and deeply holy. There is something transformative about knowing that you are of great worth. Not for what you produce. Not for what you give. But simply because you are known and loved as an image bearer of God. The Imago Dei.

I see this transformation again and again through Five Talents Savings Groups. Men and women who have been shaped by the trauma of extreme poverty step into a loving community of trust and begin to rediscover their worth. Through the investment of a first microloan. Through the faithful encouragement and accountability of a group. Through collective shared wisdom and prayer. Through business training that teaches them they are capable and have talents and assets. A new narrative is learned: You have value. You have value to God and to this group.

Christmas reminds us how deeply God values us. Scripture tells us, “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9–10). Christmas declares that we are so precious to God that He sent His Son to rescue us.

My prayer for you this Christmas season is that you would be reminded of how deeply you are loved and valued by the Father to give us this gift beyond measure. Thank you for helping others experience this truth in life-giving ways.