I know we just celebrated Christmas. I know that we have 365 days until it comes again. But for some, it may take the whole year to reset how we approach Christmas presents. For some, this means making a change after a whole lifetime of giving gifts a certain way.
Don't worry. I'm not going to the extreme of saying, "Don't give any presents at Christmas! Ever!" What I am proposing is a change in focus, that we make birthdays be about people, and Christmas be about Christ. And this is all that means:
Some families have a tradition of giving BIG, expensive presents at Christmas: bikes, video games, stereo systems, etc. And most families have a tradition of giving gifts to each individual. How hard would it be to instead give those big, individual presents at a birthday instead of at Christmas? Birthdays are meant for celebrating a person, after all. That is the day we say, "You are special to us! We are so glad that you are in our lives!"
Then, on Christmas, the day that we celebrate Christ's birth, we give small gifts, or gifts that are meant to be shared. Parents can give their children a game, or an outing, or a roller hockey set (my brother did that one year; my kids LOVED it!) Or give Bibles or books that encourage growth and learning. We can also make presents for each other. My gift to my children this year was a marble maze made from a big shoe box, popsicle sticks, and glue. It's not fancy, and it may not last until next Christmas, but it was made with love and care.
The streets by my town's outlet mall are packed like a parking lot. There is a traffic jam on the freeway because so many people are trying to go there to return things or to hit the sales. But if we take a little time to rethink Christmas presents, we can avoid the trap of the gluttony and rediscover the heart of Christmas: love, kindness, joy, and Christ himself.
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