Holiday Survival Guide Installment #6 - Gifts

Holiday survival tip # 10 - You can never give a gift good enough, so stop trying

Gifts seem to be such a major part of the Christmas tradition that we Americans know. As a child, I know I loved this part of Christmas - what kid didn't? But now, as an adult, the gift giving/receiving is such a small part of what drives my soul during the Advent season.

I recall few of the gifts I've received as a child. I suppose that's likely because there were many of them, and they probably didn't last from one year to the next. But I know every gift I've ever received from my husband. I suspect that's because his gifts (usually jewelry) are still in regular use and always present on my mind. Can't say that I remember if that Easy Bake Oven managed to make it much past Valentine's Day.

I don't usually ask for anything for Christmas. I'm so blessed - I'm healthy, I have a few dollars in the bank, and I have a beautiful family. What more could I want? But back in 2008, I had a Christmas wish that weighed heavy on my heart. I wished - I prayed - that my mom's cancer would be cured. Anyone who follows me knows that this prayer was not answered the way I had desired it would be. My mom lost her battle with cancer in January of 2009. Of course I was devastated. But I did get an amazing gift that year. My mom spent her last Christmas with my brothers and I, laughing and smiling despite her fatigue and pain. What I got that Christmas was absolutely beyond measure: she showed me what true gift-giving is. Giving a gift of the heart brings joy and is not soon forgotten - no matter the size or dollar value. What she gave me that Christmas cost her no money, but the memory is priceless. From that experience I offer you this:

My best advice on gift-giving

1. Know your recipient. If they hate chocolate (as I do), a box of chocolates is probably not the best gift. If their favorite color is green, you should probably avoid the pink sweater. It seems simple, but sometimes we get in such a hurry, we forget to think about who it is that will be receiving the gift. But a gift chosen with a specific recipient in mind will strike that person as thoughtful and kind.

2. Give with love. If you make shopping for "the perfect gift" into a chore, there will be no love in the giving, and the recipient will see that. If you can't give a gift with love, it's best to just skip it. No one likes an obligatory gift.

3. Lots of dollars makes little sense. Sure, women love jewelry. But that's not necessarily a call to go into debt over a diamond pendant. Nor does it make good sense to spend a fortune on toys for an infant, or clothes for a toddler. These things have a very limited time of use. Spend wisely. Quality gift, not quantity. Also, keep in mind that some gifts are not "bought" anyway. I'm not really a "gift person", my love language is quality time. The best gift my family can give me is the chance to be myself with them.

Perhaps the best advice I can give on gift-giving is to keep perspective. What do I mean by that? No gift you can ever give can match the gift God sent to us one cool night in a stable. All the money in all the world can't buy the salvation that God gave us in the blood of that precious baby wrapped in cloths and lying in hay.

Gifts are a fun way to celebrate one of the most fun times in the entire calendar. But it's not about the gifts that come wrapped in metallic paper with shiny bows. It's about the gift that came bundled in a manger. You can't top that gift, so don't even try to. Keep it in perspective - it's about Jesus.