Oh boy. The best and worst part of Christmas has got to be the presents. I mean, on the one hand there is nothing more awesome than giving or receiving the “perfect gift,” something that just says, I know you, love you and this is perfect for you (and within my price range). On the other hand, Black Friday. Also, that super awkward gift exchange when you brought a gag gift but everyone else brought a real gift.
The true secret to gift-giving is that it is hard. There is no easy part about it. You must start by loving some other person. Next you must want a physical manifestation of that love that will please the other person. Having racked your heart in love you must now rack your brain in thought as you devise that perfect manifestation for the other person. Finally you must bequeath this gift (and a good portion of your heart and pride) to this person. Having relinquished the gift, there is nothing else; gift-giving is not quid-pro-quo.
So what have we learned? Gift-giving is a challenge. Done properly it is the equivalent of taking out your heart and presenting it to someone else for a couple moments. At the same time, it is an act of pure charity, and an imitation of the God who has given so much to us. So don’t give up.
At this moment I would like to confess that (1) I am not done with Christmas shopping as I have not yet found the perfect gift for a few important people in my life and (2) Becca is awesome because she tried to send me cookies.
Merry Christmas all! Can’t wait to see you in February or sooner!
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