What's in a Gift?

Every year I go through the same thing at Christmas. I have a list of people in my family and even friends that I feel the need to get a gift for. And I want to. Some of them I know the perfect thing to get for them. Others I have about 50 things I could get. Others I have no idea and spend no time thinking of it. But there's other times that I really have no clue what to get, so I ask them. They tell me something specific to get.

I start to wonder, though... doesn't that take all the fun out of it? Knowing that they are expecting that one particular gift they told you to get? But what choice did you have? You couldn't get them nothing. And it had to be something they'd really appreciate. But then you're in a bind. You're almost tied to getting that gift, the gift that takes all the creativity out of giving. This is not a bad thing, but it gets me to thinking: why do we give gifts at Christmas anyways? Doesn't it only cause stress and a serious sagging in the budget? Wouldn't we all be better off without giving gifts? And at that, shouldn't we be doing it all the time, not just one week out of the year?

Some of these questions have obvious answers: we give gifts, for instance, because of the Gift God gave humankind - Himself wrapped warmly in human flesh to re-establish an intimate relationship with Him, on a level we could now relate with Him on. Yes, it causes stress, but it was never intended to. God calls us to be giving of ourselves in every aspect - of our time, of our gifts, of our resources. Done in the right spirit, in God's Spirit, this becomes relieving and overwhelmingly joyful. It does not bring stress or wreak havoc (like the young man killed the day after Thanksgiving this year in opening a store). It lightens the heart and blesses everyone it touches. So maybe the issue is not the gifts themselves but our emphasis on them... not necessarily the obsession by them, but the focus on them instead of the reason and Spirit behind it.

I believe this is something we can never fully grasp. But still the point is this: we need give out of a loving heart, full of God. In the long-run, it truly is the "thought" that counts; not the dollars spent, but the time and thoughtfulness behind each gift. I have found sometimes the smallest, most insignificant gifts mean the most because of the personal touch, the time, the thoughts. Isn't it the same with us and God? The gift, then, may not be an expected one or even wanted one per se.

But it is the most adored and becomes the most wanted because of what it embodies!

...the same was with Christ
...the same is with us