This Christian Life

Christmas

There’s so much I could write about how I feel and thoughts I have about Christmas at the age of 32. Most of it would be a negative commentary on how this holiday has been twisted into a consumer-driven obsession by the Devil and all his counterfeits.

But today I won’t go there. I’ll just tell a story about a different way of approaching gift giving in our family.

For various reasons this year our family decided not to do the usual thing of giving gifts to each other. Our “rules” included one of the following 4 ways we could show we care about each other: 1) buy a gift, 2) make something, 3) dedicate a gift of service (wash car, help with a project, babysit, etc.), or 4) give money to a charity in the name of someone else. Each of us picked a name out of a hat. Our goal was to be thoughtful and creative. Boy, did it work.

But it wasn’t easy. It’s hard to think outside the box. I realized that in past years I simply bought the most convenient items for the person I was buying for. I just didn’t put as much thought into it. This year, I was forced to think, and think, and think about what that person REALLY wants—what would make them very happy.

After opening gifts that Christmas morning, I felt good. I felt like we had all tried very hard to break the mold and give something meaningful, even if our gift came out of a store. It just all had more meaning.

Try it sometime. You might be surprised what you come up with.