A Gift From The Heart
Originally Published December 21, 2005
Every good thing bestowed and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights… James 1:17 (NAS)
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Like many of us in this modern day generation, I grew up bombarded with commercialized “Xmas.” Sure I was taught that Christmas was a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, but I truly thought the main purpose of the holiday was to present a list of demands to a fat man in a red suit at the department store. I would stand in line wondering how a guy who had a job two weeks out of the year could pay for gobs of toys my hard-working parents could not pay for. And of course all that wondering didn’t stop me from asking for lots of toys. Fortunately, there were others besides my parents who taught me about real gift giving.
It was Christmas time when I was about seven years old. Things were tight at that time. My father was very ill with pneumonia and bed ridden. My mother worked full time as a registered nurse, plus took care of my father and a household of five children. (And, boy, was she strict!) I saw that our tree that year was a smaller silver artificial variety instead of the giant hand chosen flocked tree as in years past. I didn’t get to go to Macy’s and sit on Santa’s lap and ask for what I wanted that year. We didn’t bake any goodies, listen to Christmas carols on the record player, or buy any new decorations.
Still, I was blind to the full emotional and financial impact of the situation. I was focused on getting the ultimate big girl gift, a Barbie Doll! She was glitz, glamour, and beeeeeoootifullll! No more toys for babies. After all, I was seven! Then my excited anticipation crumbled before my eyes a few days before Christmas. A stranger came to the door in the evening claiming to be a neighbor who heard that our family was experiencing rough times. He had some gifts for us kids. O boy, I thought! Maybe I would get a Barbie doll early! But when the old man handed me a wooden bed with a homemade rag doll in it, my heart sank. This was no gift at all. It was nothing.
Christ came to this earth in of one of the most humbling ways. No one could guess that the Prince of Peace would be born amongst the herded animals. Even the wise men of the East went to King Herod’s palace searching for the “King of the Jews.” Though God’s gift to Man seemed very lowly and insignificant, it was the perfect gift, the ultimate sacrifice of love.
The man and his wife gave my siblings and me precious gifts from the heart. They cared about us and acted upon their concern by making a sacrifice. My true gratitude of receiving the rag doll and bed was belated several years, but it helped me to realize just how wonderful the birth of Christ truly was. Let’s not forget that his seemingly “nothing” gift was really the most perfect gift of all.
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Dear Lord, this is the time of year that we acknowledge the birth of your Son, Jesus. Most of us have been programmed to look for the spectacular gifts, thinking that they will truly satisfy us. Your gift of your son and his giving of his life on the cross was straight from your heart. Help me to remember and know this, not just today, but every day. Amen.
Every good thing bestowed and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights… James 1:17 (NAS)
**** ****
Like many of us in this modern day generation, I grew up bombarded with commercialized “Xmas.” Sure I was taught that Christmas was a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, but I truly thought the main purpose of the holiday was to present a list of demands to a fat man in a red suit at the department store. I would stand in line wondering how a guy who had a job two weeks out of the year could pay for gobs of toys my hard-working parents could not pay for. And of course all that wondering didn’t stop me from asking for lots of toys. Fortunately, there were others besides my parents who taught me about real gift giving.
It was Christmas time when I was about seven years old. Things were tight at that time. My father was very ill with pneumonia and bed ridden. My mother worked full time as a registered nurse, plus took care of my father and a household of five children. (And, boy, was she strict!) I saw that our tree that year was a smaller silver artificial variety instead of the giant hand chosen flocked tree as in years past. I didn’t get to go to Macy’s and sit on Santa’s lap and ask for what I wanted that year. We didn’t bake any goodies, listen to Christmas carols on the record player, or buy any new decorations.
Still, I was blind to the full emotional and financial impact of the situation. I was focused on getting the ultimate big girl gift, a Barbie Doll! She was glitz, glamour, and beeeeeoootifullll! No more toys for babies. After all, I was seven! Then my excited anticipation crumbled before my eyes a few days before Christmas. A stranger came to the door in the evening claiming to be a neighbor who heard that our family was experiencing rough times. He had some gifts for us kids. O boy, I thought! Maybe I would get a Barbie doll early! But when the old man handed me a wooden bed with a homemade rag doll in it, my heart sank. This was no gift at all. It was nothing.
Christ came to this earth in of one of the most humbling ways. No one could guess that the Prince of Peace would be born amongst the herded animals. Even the wise men of the East went to King Herod’s palace searching for the “King of the Jews.” Though God’s gift to Man seemed very lowly and insignificant, it was the perfect gift, the ultimate sacrifice of love.
The man and his wife gave my siblings and me precious gifts from the heart. They cared about us and acted upon their concern by making a sacrifice. My true gratitude of receiving the rag doll and bed was belated several years, but it helped me to realize just how wonderful the birth of Christ truly was. Let’s not forget that his seemingly “nothing” gift was really the most perfect gift of all.
**** ****
Dear Lord, this is the time of year that we acknowledge the birth of your Son, Jesus. Most of us have been programmed to look for the spectacular gifts, thinking that they will truly satisfy us. Your gift of your son and his giving of his life on the cross was straight from your heart. Help me to remember and know this, not just today, but every day. Amen.
posted by Karen Vaughn | 8:39 AM
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