Gifts and Giving

I love the tradition of gift-giving at Christmas. My first Christmas shopping experience was one of many “teachable moments” my parents so wisely, intentionally, and expertly wove into the fabric of my childhood.

Although money was always tight for a family of eight on a truck driver’s salary, we seemed to have everything we needed.  My Mom was an expert in stretching a dollar.  She carefully taught her children how to manage resources and stay within a budget.  I’m not sure my age, but I couldn’t have been more than nine years old when she took me on my first personal Christmas shopping expedition.

Finding Treasures

Mom planned a Saturday excursion with her children to the Dime Store nearby.  She gave each of us ten dollars, which I am sure was a stretch for my parents at that time.  After schooling us a bit on the importance of making a list of names, allotting how much money we could spend on each gift, and keeping in mind the critical element of including sales tax, we were off to shop.

Can you imagine the expressions on the clerks’ faces at the Dime Store as our band of raggamuffins arrived?   We had cash in hand and were eager to explore the store and find the perfect gift for each one on the list.  Excitement filled the air as we carefully searched.  After finding a treasure for each family member and checking out like pros at the cash register, we rushed home to wrap each gift. Delight filled our hearts as we considered the joy our purchases would bring our loved ones.

That Christmas morning, tucked underneath our Charlie Brown style tree, was an abundance of tiny, children-bought, and children-wrapped packages.  The sight would never make the cover of the Christmas edition of any magazine. Today, a photo would not be “pinned” and shared on social media.  But my parents were not interested in beautifully wrapped material items under a perfectly decorated tree.  They wanted their children to experience the joy of giving.

Best Gifts

I am grateful beyond words for parents who invested their everything in raising us.  But I am even more thankful that God, the ultimate gift-giver, wants us to experience the gift of His Son!

Another Christmas Day in a land far from the old farmhouse of my childhood, the greatest gift to humanity arrived.  The ultimate present of all the ages came wrapped in rags and placed in a manger.  His arrival didn’t happen as the world expected.  If there had been magazines in that day, it wouldn’t have been a cover story.  But this gift, Jesus, is the greatest gift of all time.  He came to change the lives and eternal destiny of all who would receive Him.

Christ left the beauty and glory of heaven to take the form of a human, live a sinless life, and sacrifice His life for us.  And the gift keeps giving!  Believers in Christ find reconciliation with Holy God because of Jesus’ sacrifice.  Jesus gave us a Comforter, the presence of The Holy Spirit, to guide us through life on earth.  We will spend eternity with our Lord in heaven.  Ah, the unfathomable and unspeakable joy of God’s gift to us!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

This Christmas, I hope you will experience the joy of God’s perfect gift.  Savor the gift of each moment of the season.  Don’t get caught up in the commercialization of this sacred celebration.  It’s not about beautifully wrapped packages or a perfectly decorated tree.  It’s about the Savior of the world.  The perfect gift, given to us with love.

Charlene  Miller

Lean into Jesus Ministries

#charlenemillerblogs