The Gift of Giving

“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” James 1:17a

It’s coming. It’s almost here. I can hardly wait! The thoughtful planning, careful deliberation, tender preparations . . . finally coming to fruition after months in the process.

Ah-hah! I have been summoned at a wee hour. Shrill voices have found me. It’s here.

Stumbling from my bed, I shuffle my slippers across the carpet as I make a beeline for coffee. With a cup of French roast in hand, I position myself on the couch and settle in, waiting. Despite the dark circles under my eyes and robust, pronounced yawns, I’m giddy with excitement. The excitement that comes from knowing within a few moments, shrieks of joy and laughter will emit from the mouths of my children.

Christmas morning.

The little ones frantically lift and shake the bevy of boxes, scrambling to search for tags bearing their name. They cordon off their respective piles, squiggling in their pajamas; waiting for my green light.

“Go ahead!” I nod with a smile.

Taking turns, one by one, they give a box another shake and paper begins to rustle. With each paper tear and crinkle I find myself creeping forward to the edge of my seat. Contagious giggles bring a wide grin to my face. As they struggle to open folds of paper and flaps of cardboard, I feel my heart thumping. Honestly, I believe I’m more excited than they are!

Open boxes, tissue paper and Christmas wrapping are now askew throughout my living room. I watch the small faces fill with expressions of joy, laughter, contentment–bewilderment. My heart warms with a sigh of satisfaction. As I drink in the joy of this morning, I ponder my unbridled excitement.

Another sip of coffee warms my chest and . . . it hits me. Life is hard. My children will grow up facing challenges, heartbreak, disappointment and some bad choices. Even now, amidst their young lives, they experience occasional moments of hurt, anger, and sorrow. They struggle with relationships–a struggle we all seem to continually share.

There will be moments of rejection. Times of failure. There will be questions; many questions. They won’t understand why many things happen to them, or why the way things are in their world. In lieu of how tough life can be, the blessing of giving a gift to my children outweighs anything I could possibly ever receive.

In the book of Acts 20:35, Paul quotes Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Giving is a heart matter, and givers are never short-changed. We never lack the ability to give, and the thought of giving of ourselves to someone else is always rewarding. Yes, it blesses me to give to my children . . . to give to others.

So, perhaps this special morning of gift giving is an attempt at simple blessings. I want the best for my children. I want them to be happy. I want to bless them by giving them the desires of their heart. I want my gifts to be a token to say, I think you’re great and I will always be here for you. I want to give them hope. Hope in knowing my love for them is unconditional; secure.

Hmmmmm. God is THE giver of every good and perfect gift, giving the ultimate gift of His son. Do you suppose this is how He feels about you and me–His children? In fact, I know this to be true . . . the Bible tells me so.

Dear God, May your greatest gift of love grace my heart today and spill forth from my life into the lives of those all around me. Amen.