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So. What does this season mean to you? Not the Christianese you think you should parrot but, really, what does it mean to you? So many things inform your feelings and opinions (and mine as well) about everything in life. The same holds true for this special season. Consider:
What if, when you were growing up, your family did not celebrate Christmas? And what if they still don’t? There could be many reasons for this. As established last week, not all who populate this beautiful globe have a relationship with Jesus. Some were raised without any spiritual emphasis in their lives and they think of this time as good for receiving gifts and good for the retail industry. Others have been raised to believe, but they follow other gods and honor Him as a historic figure, nothing else. Still others believe yet are highly offended by anything not literally lifted from pages of Scripture. Then there’s the matter of funds. Without venturing into the mercenary commercial aspects all too available this season we still must consider funds. After all, if custom is to give to those we know and hold dear, we must be able to open our wallet to make that happen. Even if gifts are made rather than purchased, crafted with much thought and loving hands, there’s still the matter of currency required to get the items necessary for said gift.
I grew up in a family of Witnesses who refused to celebrate almost everything. Frankly, I was relieved because we were poor — very, very poor — so those beliefs actually made life easier as they removed the financial pressures normally associated with the season.
Good? Yes. All good? No. Because those formative years (and I consider *all* years before a person reaches his/her majority to be formative) really did a number on me. I was almost 28 before I walked away from what I could no longer believe in yet it informed my life for years thereafter. Even after I said “yes” to the Lord 4 1/2 years later, I still had quite a few years to acclimate before I could approach this season with nothing but joy.
What about now? If you’ve not noticed, or are privileged not to be affected, most of this world is impacted by economic challenges. So? Well, if I’m not careful, I might actually listen to that voice coming from the one the Bible calls “the accuser of our brothers and sisters” (Revelation 12:10, New Living Translation). Is that a problem? Yes, because he says I’m selfish and I don’t care about those I claim to love because, if I did, it wouldn’t matter how little money I had I would find a way to get not just one but three or four or more gifts under each loved one’s tree. His voice has been present in my life since I walked away from being a Witness, and remains even after saying “yes” to Jesus 23 years ago. I know he’s the enemy, I recognize his voice and I fight him. The point is, his voice is still there, and it’s a daily struggle not to give in to what he says.
The truth? I *do* care…a lot! And so do you. And therein lies the conundrum. I’m convinced that those of us who know exactly what this season means — and believe! — have the hardest time. Know why? Because Father God planted His generous Spirit in us when we said “yes” to the offer of a relationship with Jesus. Having a very generous Father makes it doubly hard when we may not have the wherewithal to bless others as much as our hearts desire to do. Yet, dear ones, this is when we need to remember that gifts with the most meaning may not have dollars/pounds/yen/euros/whatever currency) attached to them. Perhaps your encouraging words prevent a hurting person from ending his/her life. Perhaps your smile enables those who work so hard and believe they’re unappreciated keep plugging away. Perhaps what you write or photograph or cook is exactly what someone else needs to keep going, to keep feeling life may still be worth living.
Don’t get me wrong, beloved. Substantive gifts, those made with our hands or purchased with much deliberation and forethought, are always wonderful. Always. And they’re as terrific for the recipient as they are for us. But when we cannot do that, when there are constraints that prevent us from doing what we desire, we still have gifts to offer. We have what we always should employ: our giving spirits, our generous attitudes, our loving hearts. When we live each day using those attributes, our lives and those around us are much, much richer. (Which is why, dear friends, I write this post every week: it’s a gift.)
So, take heart, dear ones. Even when you may feel you have nothing to give, in reality you do.
All of Heaven’s best to you and yours this Merry Christmas season,
Margret
