A grandmother is giving directions to her grown grandson who is coming to visit with his wife for Christmas: “You come to the front door of the apartment complex. I am in apartment 14T. “There is a big panel at the front door. With your elbow push button 14T. “I will buzz you in. Come inside, the elevator is on the right. “Get in, and with your elbow hit 14. “When you get out I am on the left. With your elbow, hit my doorbell.” “Grandma, that sounds easy, but why am I hitting all these buttons with my elbow”? After a loud gasp she whispered…”You’re coming empty handed?”
Proverbs 15:27 The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live.
It’s getting to be about that time. You know, when people start thinking of gifts and that thinking gets a little too out of control. When that thinking starts comparing the type or cost of a gift to an amount of affection or love. “I got so and so this so I have to get something of equal value for you know who or there will be trouble” We may even try to tie the cost to someone’s relative worth and complain that they could have spent more, got something nicer. We compare our gift to others and judge relative worth and affection against someone else: I got this but they gave cousin whoosit that; what’s he ever done for them? If it’s just a game of keeping score, if we throw out 364 days of a relationship and hold that one day as the tally of appreciation or affection we are throwing out much more than we will ever receive. If we think that spending a lot of money on someone at Christmas somehow equates to the support and love we should be giving thru the year we’re well off the mark. The greatest gift we have after Christ is each other. Our affection should stand on it’s own, not the dollar amount on a receipt. On the thought that we were thought of, not that we did materially more. On the thought of what we love and appreciate about someone, not the parts that drive us out to the screaming post. The gift we most need this time of year is the presence of friends and family as we prepare for the celebration of the coming of the Christ child.
And speaking of friends and family…a church has those things in abundance. Family you don’t know is going to be in all our local churches this Sunday waiting for the gift of your presence with them. No pressure, no comparisons, no judgment. Please consider attending one. Come empty handed and leave with a full heart.
