These past few weeks have been filled with folks trying to spread Christmas cheer by spending endless amounts of money to present their friends with gifts. Not just regular gifts of hugs, laughter, and time well-spent. Not just kindness, and loving, and cheerful giving. But more like a type of giving that has turned away from voluntary representations of love and appreciation and into mandatory searching for material items that are down to the nitty-gritty detailed specifications of the receiver.
What happened to the mystery of material Christmas gifts, anyway? Does anyone really not know what you'll be receiving this year? The gifts, they can't all be surprises, but can any of them? Back when Jesus was born, I'm sure Mary and Joseph didn't request the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh they received. I can just see it now, "Where's their registry??" The origin of Christmas gift-giving is found in the Bible in Matthew 2, where the Wise Men offered these gifts to Baby Jesus (but probably when he was more like 18-24 months old, according to some Study Bibles). At your eyes' first passing, it seems they literally just dropped the gifts and ran to escape King Herod who was cray-cray, and they were warned against him in a dream... because they probably didn't really understand the true symbolism of their participation in the world's first baby shower! (Baby showers were previously held to shower the baby with gifts, not just the parents... but parents really do need all the help they can get from family and friends!)
You know what I'm giving my family this year? Trash bags. They're useful and meaningful in more ways than one. Sure, you don't have to buy any for a while for the kitchen or the yard clippings or to pack up all your Christmas decorations in or throw away the wrapping paper. They are also good reminders that we all probably have too much junk lying around that could either be thrown away in these bags, never to be seen again. Or maybe you realize they will be good for collecting up things you don't really need anymore, but a family down the street is struggling to obtain. I hope that this year, my gift of trash bags (and yes, I got some for myself!) helps me remember a few more things than the fact that the kitchen can needs to be emptied. However, giving material things to those in need means nothing without the truest meaningful gift of all.
What is a true and meaningful gift? The BEST gift we could ever give friends or family is to share with them the love of Christ, and our purpose in this world - to faithfully serve Him only and explicitly share the Good News that God sent His Son into this world to die for our sins, and that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life in Christ! How ironic is it that the BEST gift we have ever received is also the BEST gift we can give! Hallelujah!
~LeeAnn
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