Christmas is a Time of Reminiscing

“Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecc. 12:6-7).

Hey Gang:  In our affluently in our country have we lost the sensitivity or true meaning of receiving a gift?  We learned very early in our work with dependent – neglect children that to receive a gift was almost an embarrassment.  They had been taught by experience that they were not worth much and therefore did not deserve a gift.

Several years ago I watched one of my grand kids open his Christmas packages and noticed it took prodding by the parent to keep him focused on opening the various packages.  His real interest was not in opening the gifts but in playing with the wrappings and boxes and running to and fro visiting with all of the family members who were there.  

I have learned through my years on this earth that the importance of Christmas is not the time of giving material gifts but a time of showing our appreciation and love for those we chose to honor with a gift.   Listening to the kids reminisce about Christmas’s past is always a warm feeling for it is not the material gifts received that is the focus of the conversations but the things we did in the giving of those gifts that was important.

Jesus said “ Greater love hath no man than this,.... By these words our Lord shows, how far love to another should extend, even to the laying down of our lives for the brethren; which is the highest instance of love among men.  Did he mean that we have to give up our life in a literal sense.  Possibly, but I sense it went far deeper than that.  It is a hello to the handicapped person who pushed the carts into the store at the super market or a few extra cents in the Salvation bucket to help someone less fortunate.

Soooo,  my young friends, it is time to close this morning thought and get back to my workshop and finish the wooden trucks and trains that I pray will end up in the hands of a bunch of little people that need to know that someone really cares enough for them to give a little chunk of their life. 

Blessings,

Gramps