It’s the season for gifts

It is the season for gifts. It is easy to get caught up in gifts at the expense of everything else about this delightful time of the year. I suspect most, if not all,  of us have had those Christmas seasons where we realized we were totting up what we got, what we gave, and then doing some math that can never make us happy. Almost everyone pays at least lip service to the notion that “it’s the thought that counts” or “it’s about getting together with your loved ones, not getting ‘stuff.'” But sometimes, not often of course, but sometimes we end up feeling like we got the short end of the stick.

I am not one of those people for whom giving gifts is one of the primary ways I express love; I understand those people but I’m not of that tribe. Nevertheless, I have clear memories of Christmases where my gift was upstaged by someone else’s. It is very possible no one else on the planet would have put in those terms but those are the terms I chose. I have equally clear memories of feeling like the forgotten one; looking at everyone else’s presents and finding mine inadequate in comparison.

I don’t have an easy answer to those situations, what I do have is the reminder, helpfully packaged up in a couple of sermons, that we have all been given the best gift ever. Jesus.

Knox Presbyterian A gift for us (to download, right click and select “Save Link As . . .”)

St. Mark’s Presbyterian A gift for us (to download, right click and select “Save Link As . . .”)

My prayer for all of is in this new calendar year is that we all see and appreciate the gifts we have been given.

Blessings,