Good Thursday morning, 1 week to Christmas Day! May the Lord bless and keep you during this celebration of His birth. The economic barrages continue in the great blame game of "who's fault is it?" The news media anxiously awaits the outcome, will it be a good Christmas or a bad Christmas for retailers. Even from a secular standpoint, the Who's in Whoville know something that many seem to have forgotten; Christmas is not about buying. However, we know something Dr. Suess' little characters do not... Christmas is about the birth of Christ.
Yesterday on CNN, Dr. Phil mentioned our children's sense of entitlement as one of the reasons that it is so difficult to tell them that this Christmas many of us won't have as much. One problem with that... the kids didn't get that sense on their own. Yes, all of us, even those of us without children, like to buy gifts for each other and those entitlement-bound children. I like to buy gifts, and I am sure that you do as well. Giving is not the reason for Christmas, but it certainly is one of the great benefits. Now, in another sense I am quite wrong that Christmas is not about giving. The greatest gift God sent to us wasn't the earth and everything in it, life on this earth is not it, but the gift of a savior is very much what Christmas is about. For unto you a child is given... The wonderful words from Isaiah echo down to us throughout history. God sent us a gift, the child Jesus, and then announced His gift with a heavenly host to shepherds in the field.
The thing about giving is that we should not think ourselves or our children are entitled to the latest and most expensive gifts. That may be where Dr. Phil is aiming in his critique. We can enjoy giving this year and in the years to come by going to the thoughtful gifts. The key to making this work? Gratitude, a "thank you" from the heart will go a long way to making every gift a joyous occasion for all.
Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas!
Bucky
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