LXXI. The Gifts that Never Keep on Giving

Out of all the commercials for Christmas this year the worst by far are the Best Buy commericals; the ones where individuals are competing against Santa Claus.   They are even worse than Walmart and the over playing of AC/DC's Back in Black (imagine why they chose that song...cha-ching) every commercial break.  Best Buy is not the place where Christmas gifts should be purchased from.  There are no items in that store that promote anything but materialistic relationships that never amount to anything.

When people give gifts it is usually because they want to show someone how much they care.  Most gifts are of course given around Christmas and birthdays.  But when are real gifts given?  Anytime.  It's not when you give the gift it is why you give the gift.  Gifts should be from the heart not the pocket book.  Especially this time of the year when we do focus on what people mean to us.

Buying iPads, iPods, iPhones, cameras, Playstations, Xbox, certain jewelry, and even to the point of some clothes are some items that seriously are a waste of money during the Christmas Season.  Nothing says "I love you" like a iPhone, right?.  "Merry Christmas sweetie, here is an iPad because when I saw it, I immediately thought of you".   These kind of gifts are for people who feel like they have to buy relationships or they feel like they didn't accomplish anything.  No, gifts should be more sentimental.  Pictures of landscapes that remind you of a certain place or time , certain CDs that have that special song on it, other certain jewelry that will remind you of your relationship, these are gifts that we need to be giving.

Sure, this is also a time of celebration.  And certain gifts can show that feeling.  It is also a time when you can give things that people need.  But the reason why you are doing it is because you are sacrificing your own materialism for someone else's needs.  And that is a true gift as well.  We all have done it and will always do it.  Giving material gifts are okay to do, of course.  But too many times all we do is focus on that one big gift, the one that everyone will say, "Wow!", and that usually is something electronic.  But if you look back on your life you will notice that the best gifts you have ever gotten were the small items that no one paid attention to.

This is sort of like the gift God gave us.  God did not shout to the world, "here is something you all want".  But it was something we all needed.  And it was something that was from His heart.  His gift was given in the quiet little village of Bethlehem.  No banners.  No gimmicks.  No sales.  No competition.  But this gift, unlike what Best Buy can do, is the gift that will keep on giving.  Jesus Christ.