Set Your Sights On Things Above
We so quickly get our eyes off God. Let's get back into
perspective.
perspective.
12/3/2013
Christmas is all about the Presents!A friend of mine was recently talking about how when you're content with what have it can be really hard to think about what you want when someone asks for a list from you for Christmas gift ideas. Honestly, sometimes that's just hard because once you leave a store you can't remember what you saw in there - so really, how can you remember what you wanted? Ok, that's not just me, is it? Is it? Seriously, once we become adults, who wants to be seen as the one that goes around with an arm's length list of gift ideas for themselves? No takers? Probably not. But let's be honest with ourselves. Christmas is ALL about the presents. In reality, as a parent my more recent Christmases have been incredibly wonderful. Because I got bigger presents? No. Because I've been seeing my kids get so INTO Christmas GIVING themselves. The older ones, because they have their own money now, will scour stores, both online and off, to find just the exact right present for someone else. They sit with anticipation waiting for that person to open their gift, and they watch the person's face when they first see it - wanting to video the first moment, and then ask them over and over again if they liked it. It's like a new day dawning for them, you know, the excitement of seeing someone get something that they picked out just for them. And to watch my kids get such joy over that? It's incredible. My younger kids also get excited over the gifts they give each other - but for them it's a bit more down-home. They wrap up their own toys and give them to each other. And they keep track. I don't know how they do it, except for the younger you are the better memory you have, but they know what they gave last year. They love watching their sibling get that gift. And I've learned I have to teach them how to receive the gift, too. They should be received with grace and gratitude, not matter-of-factly, or as if they're entitled. (Might be another post in there with that one.) And now apply it to your Christmas, to MY Christmas.Sometimes we get so caught up in not wanting to seem greedy, or wanting only things, that we can't tell anyone else what they might give us. Someone else made the comment that we should think of presents that the other person would enjoy giving us. Think about that statement for a minute. See, if we refuse to tell someone any ideas, or we insist they don't get us anything, or that we don't even like gifts, we're robbing someone of that overwhelming joy of seeing us open a present they picked out that they think we'll like. You know, God says it's better to give than to receive? Well, that holds true for Christmas, and if you're allowing someone to give you something, then you're giving to them as well - the joy of seeing you love what they gave you. Don't hold back. Let someone else bless you. You'll be blessing them in return. |
AuthorI'm Sherry Chamblee, aspiring author of Christian fiction, mom of six, wife to a cool dude, and caregiver to his granny. Besides that, I am just little old me - it's just a phrase, I'm not really old, honest. Check out my new release!
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December 2019
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