We all know that Christmas is the time when we shower people with presents. But the whole process of gift-giving can be stressful. You want to give something that is special, thoughtful, and useful. You want the receiver to know how much you appreciate and love them, or that you are thinking of them. But gifts don’t speak and there is no amount of money that can do all of that. Then, there is the pressure of needing to do something in return because of the generosity showered on you. Sometimes you may want to outdo the other just because you feel you need to even the return or just to avoid any undue expectations.
Charlie Brown was right to feel sad about the commercialization of Christmas’. He didn’t know what Christmas really meant because of all the distractions around him. No matter how many times I have told my kids the story of Jesus, all they can think of is the presents. This year my kids wrote letters to Santa for the first time and we posted them in the mail. They were so sure that Santa was going to bring them what they asked for because it was in writing. We decided this year that Santa was getting one present for each of them and the rest was from whoever sent them the gifts.
We know that the gift-giving tradition is not going away. We also know that it was an important part of the story of Jesus’ birth. The wise men brought gifts that were fit for a king – gifts that were thoughtful, and of great value. It is ok to give and receive gifts, but let’s take the pressure out of it. Do it in humility and love, with the best intentions, and do not worry about the thought of how the person receiving it is going to feel. It is also important to receive gifts with humility knowing that it is an act of grace and that we can always do with fewer things.
My favorite gift this year was from my daughter Evelyn who is 5. She just started to write on her own and loves to write thoughtful notes. She made Christmas notes for everyone and handed them out before we opened presents on Christmas morning. I am accepting her gift with grace and humility and hoping that I can teach the same to my kids someday.
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and an enjoyable gift-sharing experience.
