Christmas Gifts by Carol Harrison

                                       

                                                    

 I have always loved to give gifts. Even as a young child I loved to make little crafts to give to my grandparents who loved me so much they proudly displayed my handiwork long past Christmas. I never lost my delight in gift giving, especially during the holidays. Earlier and earlier each year I am bombarded with ads offering the ideal gift for someone in my circle of friends and family, or at least what the business world considers the ideal gift. I often wish for a much larger budget,for all too often my funds run out long before my plans for gift giving are complete. Limited funds call for an increase in creativity to stretch the dollars as far as possible. 

This year my husband encouraged me to write stories for the grandchildren's Christmas gifts. This would be something they could not just go to the store and purchase for themselves. An interesting idea for writers to consider and I have worked all year on writing and choosing family stories they might enjoy.

Several years ago I received an email with the title, "Gifts That Don't Cost a Cent" by anonymous. Needless to say this captured my attention immediately. I could not wait to open it and read this wonderful bit of wisdom on gift giving, hoping for practical information to put into practice for that season. I found a simple list of gifts that are perfect to give to anyone on any occasion. They don't cause an overload on my plastic or a depletion of my meager bank account. They did not even need wrapping and no one had to wait to open them, nor do they need to be confined to the Christmas season. They also appeal to people whose love language, like my husbands, is not gift giving. 

           

 I read that list and thought about it, adding a few ideas of my own as well as some explanations of what those gift ideas meant to me. I'd love to share them with you. 

First came the gift of listening, really listening to someone else without interrupting them or losing myself in my own thoughts. Then there comes the gift of touch. A pat on the back for a job well done or a hug shows how much I care. I thought about how important it is to hold hands with my spouse, my children and my grandchildren to let them know I am there for them. More gifts followed in the list like the gift of encouragement. Too often all we hear or remember are the negative comments flowing around us like flood waters. I looked at ways to offer encouragement and came up with a note, an email, a phone call or kind words given spontaneously to let others know we care. A genuine compliment goes along way to encouraging the recipient.

Laughter is good medicine. Do we laugh with someone each day? It not only is a gift to give to others but offers us a more cheerful disposition and brighter outlook on our day. Add to this the gift of solitude for sometimes others need the time alone to reflect or to have some space to heal. I can be there when my friends and family need me but I can also guard their time alone.

The next one made me stop and think about my attitude. How thankful am I? Do I remember to thank others for the kind things they have done for me or gifts they have bestowed? Do I have a grateful spirit, looking for the blessings in my life? A grateful heart has a way of spreading cheer to those it comes in contact with. 

The greatest Christmas gift of all is not one I can ever give but I can tell others about it. It didn't come with fancy wrapping, only cloths and a manger bed of hay. This Christmas season with all the plans of celebration I choose to remember the reason for the season and celebrate Jesus who came as a baby, announced by angels to shepherds on the hillside and by a star leading wise men to worship him. Jesus came to offer the free gift of salvation - the greatest gift of all.

I love Christmas and gift giving. I am so glad that these gifts can be given at any time and are worth more than anything my money can buy. They are gifts of my time to show how much I value those I give them to. 

Now to finish the gift of stories for my grandchildren this Christmas.  

Merry Christmas to everyone. 

As a speaker, published author and storyteller, Carol Harrison is passionate about mentoring people of all ages and abilities to help them find their voice and reach their fullest potential. She shares from her heart, telling stories from real life experiences and God’s Word to encourage people and help them find a glimmer of hope no matter what the circumstances. She believes we need to continuously grow in our walk with God and lives out her storytelling passion by speaking at women’s events and retreats, Bible Camps as well as school assemblies and church events. Carol is a wife, mother of four adult children and grandmother to twelve. She makes her home is Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.