Will you feel like you missed the real Christmas this year? Then save it before you lose it.
The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas can be so hectic with special sales, shoppers packing the malls, parades, school plays and concerts, presents to buy—and the list goes on.
Soon last minute panic sets in over presents purchased (will they like it?) and still needed.
To make matters worse, some family members ask for specific gifts. Then they let it be known they won’t be happy if they don’t receive exactly what they want!
What happened to the joy of Christmas? Somehow the joy of giving is turned around to the joy of getting. So we stress out trying to get everyone something they’ll like. We even ask our children, “What do you want for Christmas?”
We do it because we want to be good parents and give them the desires of their heart.
Then we drive ourselves crazy and bust the budget trying to get everything on their list. We hope for a big smile on Christmas day and an excited, “Thank you, thank you! It’s what I always wanted!” --As if Christmas was only about presents under the tree.
Why not take a break from the stress and try something more peaceful? Something to help recapture Christmas’ true meaning. Consider the plan one dad came up with for his family.
This father wanted to celebrate the tradition of gift giving that honors God’s gift of his Son, Jesus. But he also wanted to save the budget, stop the madness and save Christmas.
His plan was simple: to buy his children four gifts for Christmas each year. That’s right—FOUR gifts. They were “Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read.”
If the children complained, he asked them, “Whose birthday are we celebrating?”
Once he started buying just four gifts for each child, the children began to appreciate every gift they received. They insisted he label them. There was no more comparing who got the most gifts. No more whining, “Is that all there is?” amidst the piles of torn paper and boxes.
It also helped focus on the true meaning of Christmas presents: That we give gifts, like the Wise Men, to honor the Christ Child. And we do it to remember God’s gift of love to us.
The Bible says: “For God so LOVED the world that he GAVE his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God’s gift is a son that gives life.
Teach your children that one of the reasons you give them gifts is because you love them. And because God loves us, he gave us his greatest gift at Christmas: a Savior who is Christ, the Lord. Don’t let Jesus get lost under the tree. He is the reason for the season.
The four gifts are just a suggestion. But, if you tried it, it might get rid of the craziness trying to find and buy gifts you can’t afford. And trying to make everyone happy.
Then don’t forget that the real Saint Nicholas is remembered for giving gifts--not to those who had more than they needed but to those who had almost nothing. Maybe you could get your family excited about helping another family in need.
You could make Christmas about giving instead of getting. Just like the first Christmas.
Remember the words Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Do your children and grandchildren or nieces and nephews know that?
The choice is yours: Missing Christmas by focusing on presents or saving Christmas with a focus on Jesus. Why not save Christmas for your family this year? You’ll be glad you did.
1 comment:
Thank you for your article. That
is an excellent idea about the
FOUR gifts. Certainly we need to
be more concerned about giving than receiving. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
God is our example of "giving."
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