I know. A few of you did your Christmas shopping during last January’s clearance. Your gift wrap—featuring Santa in Hawaiian shirts—was 75% off. For good reason!
The majority of us, however, still like shopping closer to the event, with the sparkling lights, jingling bells, and festive camaraderie.
As an old timer who’s shopped for almost 70 seasons, I’d like to make a few shopping suggestions. But first a story.
An anonymous author tells how her husband Mike “hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it.” So she decided one year to look “for something special,” and “The inspiration came in an unusual way.”
Their son’s well-outfitted wrestling team was participating in a match against boys sponsored by an inner-city church. She noticed the others were “dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together,” and it was evident they couldn’t afford headgear. That’s when she got the idea for Mike’s present.
“That afternoon,” she writes, “I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church.”
Then on their Christmas tree she placed a plain envelope, the last gift to be opened. In it she told Mike what she had done, and that this was his gift to her.
“His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.”
She concludes, “May we all remember Christ, who is the reason for the season, and the true Christmas spirit this year and always.”
It’s true. The farther your generosity travels, the larger your heart grows. May God give us eyes to see and hearts to care for the truly needy.
Now some other gift-giving suggestions?
1. The gifts that only you can give. You have a heritage to share with loved ones. Did God meet you in your youth? Bless you in your marriage? Help you through life’s crises?
“We will not hide them from their children, but will declare to the next generation the praises of the Lord and His might, and the wonders He has performed.” (Psalm 78:4) A letter describing God’s goodness to you, perhaps accompanied by some special photos, can be invaluable to those you love.
2. The gifts that money can’t buy. Praying down God’s blessing on loved ones is more valuable than a shopping spree at Fort Knox. What to pray? Try Ephesians 3:17-19 or Colossians 1:9-11. This gift is both free and priceless.
Also encouragement—a personal card from you with thoughtful words of affirmation will ripple in blessing through the years.
3. The gift that lasts forever. Don’t assume everyone knows the reason for the season. Take a few minutes at gift-giving time or the dinner table to remind everyone. Only one gift never wears out, is one-size-fits-all, and is so expensive that only God could afford it.
Recall the glorious words of John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
God gave His Son. Jesus gave His all. And the Spirit is giving everlasting life to any sinner who receives Christ as personal Savior.
That’s one gift we can’t afford to do without.
Article published December 14, 2024 in the Commercial Dispatch.