Presents are one of the most stressful things about Christmas. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE giving and receiving gifts, but that pressure to figure out just the right gift for someone without succumbing to the retail super storm of Christmas commercialism can be overwhelming to impossible. However, I've figured out some things this year that I want to pass on that I think make giving and the Christmas season more meaningful than ever.
I always get a kick out of preachers who have four or five points to share and they've come up with a word for each point that starts with a certain letter. I guess the alliteration is a bit amusing to my English geek heart. I get an even bigger laugh when they come up with a word that starts with, say, the letter D for every point but one, but then they have to pick a different word for the last point because they just couldn't think of a word with D that summed up that last point. Kind of like the person who came up with who, what, when, were, why.....and, oh yes, how. I digress. I only mention this because I feel like a preacher having come up with the four P's of presents in order to share my theory of making gift exchanges less stressful and more meaningful. Here they are:
1. Pausing to Remember--Last year, a wonderful family friend gave my daughter a nativity advent calendar. It was a meaningful and very simple nightly event for our family, and it helped us focus on the reason and purpose for the season. This year, I ordered an advent calendar that has scripture verses to read each night. My daughter looks forward to opening the door in the calendar each day, and it is a wonderful way to remember the light Jesus brought into the world and focus on satisfaction and fulfillment in Jesus rather than things; things can so easily become the focus of the season without time to reflect on why we celebrate.
2. Paying it Forward--Each year we try to give something to those who are in need. It reminds us of of the difference between "need" and "want" and keeps us thankful for what we have. Every family will have their own cause or charity that appeals to them. Some of our favorites are Operation Christmas Child, the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog, and Salvation Army.
3. Passing it On-- If you have a cute three year old that everyone wants to shower with presents (and not just at birthday and Christmas), there must be a time to clean out the unused and out-grown items hanging around in bins and drawers and corners. This is not about giving junky stuff to people who can't afford new toys. This is about cleaning out what we don't want, need, use, or have lost interest in and passing on a usable item in good condition, which allows someone else to enjoy the things that no longer play a role in our daily life. Having my daughter go through her things with me and pick out the items she no longer wanted or used was a great teachable moment. Not only did I have a chance to talk with her about giving, I was also helping her understand the importance of limiting the amount of possessions she has. In a couple of words: Don't hoard! This is also a great exercise for me with my personal and household belongings.
4. Promoting Family (and Friend) Relationships--Finally, Christmas is about spending time with people who are important to us and letting them know they are special. A bought gift can be very meaningful, but there are so many simple (and useful!) gifts that you can make for family and friends. One of my most treasured Christmas gifts is a cloved orange (click link for video on how to make a cloved orange) an aunt made for me a couple of years ago. I put it in my linen closet to keep the sheets fresh. Before I received that gift, I was having to rewash my entire linen closet about every three months to get rid of the musty smell that would build up. No more! The cloved orange keeps my sheets and blankets fresh; even better, they actually smell good! And the orange has lasted for two years. Talk about a small, but thoughtful, gift that paid big dividends! The point is, gifts don't have to be elaborate and break our pocket books to help our loved ones feel loved, remembered and appreciated. Making Christmas gifts is also a great way to keep my kid entertained, spend time interacting with my daughter, and it is meaningful to family members that she helped make the gift.
Merry Christmas to everyone!
I always get a kick out of preachers who have four or five points to share and they've come up with a word for each point that starts with a certain letter. I guess the alliteration is a bit amusing to my English geek heart. I get an even bigger laugh when they come up with a word that starts with, say, the letter D for every point but one, but then they have to pick a different word for the last point because they just couldn't think of a word with D that summed up that last point. Kind of like the person who came up with who, what, when, were, why.....and, oh yes, how. I digress. I only mention this because I feel like a preacher having come up with the four P's of presents in order to share my theory of making gift exchanges less stressful and more meaningful. Here they are:
1. Pausing to Remember--Last year, a wonderful family friend gave my daughter a nativity advent calendar. It was a meaningful and very simple nightly event for our family, and it helped us focus on the reason and purpose for the season. This year, I ordered an advent calendar that has scripture verses to read each night. My daughter looks forward to opening the door in the calendar each day, and it is a wonderful way to remember the light Jesus brought into the world and focus on satisfaction and fulfillment in Jesus rather than things; things can so easily become the focus of the season without time to reflect on why we celebrate.
2. Paying it Forward--Each year we try to give something to those who are in need. It reminds us of of the difference between "need" and "want" and keeps us thankful for what we have. Every family will have their own cause or charity that appeals to them. Some of our favorites are Operation Christmas Child, the Samaritan's Purse Gift Catalog, and Salvation Army.
3. Passing it On-- If you have a cute three year old that everyone wants to shower with presents (and not just at birthday and Christmas), there must be a time to clean out the unused and out-grown items hanging around in bins and drawers and corners. This is not about giving junky stuff to people who can't afford new toys. This is about cleaning out what we don't want, need, use, or have lost interest in and passing on a usable item in good condition, which allows someone else to enjoy the things that no longer play a role in our daily life. Having my daughter go through her things with me and pick out the items she no longer wanted or used was a great teachable moment. Not only did I have a chance to talk with her about giving, I was also helping her understand the importance of limiting the amount of possessions she has. In a couple of words: Don't hoard! This is also a great exercise for me with my personal and household belongings.
4. Promoting Family (and Friend) Relationships--Finally, Christmas is about spending time with people who are important to us and letting them know they are special. A bought gift can be very meaningful, but there are so many simple (and useful!) gifts that you can make for family and friends. One of my most treasured Christmas gifts is a cloved orange (click link for video on how to make a cloved orange) an aunt made for me a couple of years ago. I put it in my linen closet to keep the sheets fresh. Before I received that gift, I was having to rewash my entire linen closet about every three months to get rid of the musty smell that would build up. No more! The cloved orange keeps my sheets and blankets fresh; even better, they actually smell good! And the orange has lasted for two years. Talk about a small, but thoughtful, gift that paid big dividends! The point is, gifts don't have to be elaborate and break our pocket books to help our loved ones feel loved, remembered and appreciated. Making Christmas gifts is also a great way to keep my kid entertained, spend time interacting with my daughter, and it is meaningful to family members that she helped make the gift.
Merry Christmas to everyone!
