The celebration is over. The presents are opened; the boxes are empty; and we are stuffed. I am blessed to have a family that has little or no drama. Family gatherings are always a blessing. I know that is not the same for all families.
Most of us have had experiences of giving and receiving gifts. When we give a gift, we are blessed in different ways than when we receive one. Sometimes we have an idea of what to give certain people while other times we agonize over what to get someone. Have you ever given someone a gift you thought was perfect, but the person was unimpressed? What about that gift you gave that you didn’t really like, but the recipient was thrilled?
I have many memories of my mother being so grateful for gifts that she received from us. However when we cleaned out her house, I found many of those gifts unopened and unused. She had a graciousness about her to always be grateful for what she received. One of my greatest memories of Christmas was the year my brother and sister in law came home for Christmas. They always told her that they would never come home in the winter. It wasn’t a gift she could use, but she was so excited that two of her three children were home for Christmas.
Gone are the days when our children are wide eyed in response to the gifts under the tree. When they were little, we would watch them come down the steps and round the corner. We judged our success by their eyes.
We celebrated our first Christmas with our grandson who is 9 months old. I spent months deciding what to get him for his first Christmas. The pressure was on; I couldn’t mess this up as a first-time Grammy. One of the gifts we gave him was a balance bike. At first he had no idea what it was or what to do with it. We put him on it so he could try it. Initially he had to figure out how to sit so his feet reached the floor. As soon as he figured it out, he was off. He was happy with his gift. The gift we gave him also brought us joy. To watch his face light up as he moved across the room under his own power brought us immense joy. Honestly, I don’t know who was happier with his gift.
Blessings from gifts work both ways. Sometimes we need to give and sometimes we need to receive. Many times it is harder to receive a gift than to give one. It can be difficult to accept gifts from others. I have always considered it a gift to allow others to give gifts. When we inhibit others from giving us gifts, we are robbing both parties from God’s blessings. If I will not allow someone to do something for me, I might be robbing the other person of a blessing. I might be robbing myself of a blessing. .
The greatest gift remains–the gift of salvation. Have you opened your gift?
Let me know what you think.