Todays’s thought comes from James 1:17: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
For some reason this morning I started singing the old hymn, Give of Your Best to the Master.
It is the season for giving gifts.
Buying gifts when the girls were young and we were foster parents was not something I enjoyed. Do I sound like Scrooge?
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to give gifts. I just hated the way the kids counted their presents and made sure there was equity for all.
I dreaded hearing their pronouncement of: It’s not fair s/he got more than me.
Sigh. Like it was some kind of competition.
I don’t think I ever liked the gift giving part of Christmas. For so many years I was disappointed after not receiving the gifts I truly had my heart set on. I quit asking for things.
What would happen if we boycotted the whole gift giving insanity?
The best “gifts” my children ever gave me were the coupon booklets that they proudly (or forced) made in school. There were coupons for cleaning their room, or doing the dishes without being asked. They were the kinds of things that cost no money but demonstrated love and care.
They were gifts of time.
The best gifts are like that. They are gifts of time, of touch…of you.
Who could you give the gift of you to this Christmas?
You know who gave you the best gift, don’t you? He gave himself. Pretty good example to follow.
Pot of Manna 