I’ve heard lots of complaints about gift-giving at Christmas – that the real meaning of Christmas is buried beneath a bunch of colorfully wrapped presents.
But I think gift giving symbolizes what Christmas is all about – that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son – and His son didn’t just do it because He had, too – He knew what birth was going to be like. He knew what being a regular Jewish boy in a regular family would feel like. He knew ahead of time friends would betray Him. He knew He was going to die a horrendous, grievous, shameful, excruciating death. Yet the Father and the Son gave to us Hope that Christmas morning over 2,000 years ago.
Each gift you pick out this year – compare it to the first Christmas gift, ponder that gift – and try to put as much Jesus love into that gift as possible – even if it is a note of hope, a scarf to keep cold fingers warm on the way to work, or a toy that brings joy to a little world.
At Christmas we practice giving because He first gave to us.
Find out more about the Hope within the Christmas Wrapping over at Lynn’s blog, “Heading Home,” where I am honored and excited to be a guest writer. Take a cup of coffee, spend time with her. She is a blessing!
Blue Cotton Memory 
Is it too early to say Merry Christmas? I don’t think so, so MERRY CHRISTMAS! Thank you for all your wonderful posts!
Thanks again, dear one, for being my guest. YOU are the blessing! Always a blessing!
So lovely. I have always been amazed at how that yearning for Christmas morning must be such a pale reflection of what we really yearn for. Thank you. 🙂
Beautiful. When I was a kid it occurred to me that Jesus is a part of everyone. So we give presents to each other for his birthday b/c we’re actually giving them to the part of that person that is him.
Thank you so much for this. It reminded me of when my grown children were small and we put a “Happy Birthday Jesus” on our fireplace hearth and made Him a birthday cake to share on Christmas Day.
beautiful post 🙂 Thanks for this!
Trust you to get to the heart of the matter in such a good way! To me, the only time Christmas is too commercial is for those who don’t know the Truth of what it is all about. It truly is a season of hope for the rest of us and a reminder of the real Reason.
I agree! Great post!