Perfect Christmas gift cost nothing

By “Deacon G” Gautrau

What are we getting for Christmas? What do we really want? What is the best present we could possibly receive? Where will we find that present? What will we give others?

Retailers would lead you to believe that Christmas is all about presents, buying the right gift at the cheapest price. Toys, appliances, sporting goods, electronics, clothes, jewelry, the list goes on and on.

We spend hours and hours searching for just the right gifts for our children, spouse, coworkers or friends. Because of Christmas, it’s not unusual for some of us to go into debt, struggling for months to pay it off, only to see the cycle start all over next year. Why do we do it? Don’t we realize that it appears that after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the day after Christmas is one of the busiest days of the year for retailers, because that’s when all the gift returns are made at stores? Of course no one returns the gifts that we give. Not after all that we put into the selection. Ha! Ha!

If we wanted to give a gift that costs nothing, but is priceless and guaranteed not to be returned, wouldn’t we do it? If we gave the same amount of thought to identifying this gift as we do on all the others, I bet that we could identify it. Let’s try.

What are some things that fall into this category? How about our time? Couldn’t we find time to spend with someone just sharing stories, our experiences, our successes and failures, things we treasure. This time could be spent with our children and grandchildren, taking the time to talk about our childhoods, or early adulthood. Giving them a little family history. How many of us never got a chance to find out, but wish we knew what our parents were like or what they did before they were married?

Could we take the time to visit an old friend or relative and discuss the “good old days?”

Another thing we could share that costs nothing, but is priceless is our faith, but only if we live it. Many of us can remember a time when almost all of our family members went to Church every Sunday. We would put on our “Sunday clothes” and be at Church many minutes before the clergy.

And we didn’t just go on Christmas and Easter. We had a firm belief in our God and His teachings, believing that we should “keep holy the Sabbath day” (Exodus 20:8). Wouldn’t sharing the personal history of our faith be a great gift to our children and friends?

When we share our faith, we can talk of the One we turn to in our darkest hours because He comforts us, the person we thank for all that we are blessed to have, the God we go to when we see the needs of others but know that only He can fulfill that need. For someone who doesn’t know Jesus or hasn’t experienced Him in the way we have, wouldn’t enlightening that person about Christ be a priceless gift?

When we have the opportunity to share this gift, shouldn’t we take advantage of it?

What better time than during the Christmas season to give a gift that can be given all year long, costs nothing, and won’t be returned? Jesus Christ is God’s perfect gift to us and we can share Him, at no cost, with everyone we meet.

In just a few minutes we have identified a couple of gifts that are free, priceless and won’t be returned. On the day after Christmas, let’s give retailers a holiday!

 

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