Bah Humbug! I don't want any gifts for Christmas!

You heard it right. I really don't want any gifts for Christmas, that is, unless they are truly gifts. So what is truly a gift you might ask? I can tell you what it's not. It's not something bought haphazardly. It's not something I already have and it's not something the giver feels "obligated" to buy. It really is not anything particular that can be purchased, but it can be, and most of the time it is not a gift card.

The gifts I want for Christmas have to have two special things deeply entrenched in them; love and thought. Many gifts given each year are given out of love for the person who is getting them but are given without much thought. That may sound harsh, but if you doubt that statement, check out the return lanes the day after Christmas and/or do a Google on how many gift cards were purchased and given away. On the other side, a gift can be given that has taken a lot of thought, but didn't have much love in it. An example of that was the binder I got today from a local bank that was delievered to our office on Tuesday. They didn't bring it for me but for "the office". In fact, they didn't bring enough to give everyone in the office , but since it was Friday and no other agent happened to be there today, I got it. No love, just advertising.

What I desire is both love and thought. If I'm going to get a gift, I want the person who gives it to me to be giving it to me out of their love for me. I don't want them to feel obligated because I gave them one, because I work with them or because they "have to" (you know what I mean there). Similarily a gift filled with thought, tells me the giver made effort on my behalf and it reinforces the notion that they love me.

A gift that meets both those criteria, is truly a wonderful gift. If you're honest, you've received some of these types of gifts and you enjoyed them more than the rest. These gifts can be expensive or cost nothing at all. (like the ones that I used to get from my kids) It can be something the giver made or something the giver bought. That part doesn't really matter. In fact, it can even be a gift card if that gift meets those criteria. However, I'd prefer receiving a note in an envelope stating something along the lines of "This entitles you to a Free meal at one of the following restaurants...(several restaurants listed). You pick the date and I'll drive." Or, "This entitles you to 5 car washes at my house. I've noticed, that you're car gets real dirty. I'll wash your car for you", or "A meal at my house" etc. Those kind of gifts mean more to me because it in essence says, "I have thought of you, and because I love you I want to take care of you and/or spend time with you.

The truth is, I don't really need any material possessions. I'm at a point in my life that if I really want or need something, I balance it all out and just get it. God consistently meets all my needs and my wants are either attainable now or in the near future and with a little hard work and a saving plan I can get those.

So, I guess the question for today is, What do you really want to say this Christmas with your gift giving? Will your gift say it?

Just a few Christmas thought for you to ponder.

Now, if I could stop being so lazy, I could be a giver like that too.