Gifts

This time of year I like and dislike the idea of gifts all at the same time. I like how generosity gets a spot in the world. I dislike how the me-ism which reigns pretty much the rest of the year, so quickly clamours to gain it's spot back. What do I want to give, what do I want to get? Is my giving appreciated? What ever happened to giving a gift with no strings attached? Mostly what I do not like about all the focus on gifts is, the reminder that what I reallly want are not gifts anyone on this earth can give me. Some of what is broken cannot be fixed and some of what is lost cannot be replaced, at least this side of Heaven. But the light that shone over Bethlehem became the light that now shines from the cross. Let's not forget that the reason gifts come up this time of year, is that this is the time of year we commemorate the greatest gift this world was ever given. Sometime we do not hope for much for Christmas (or for life) because we do not want to be disappointed. But it is okay to hope, and to hope big, so long as our hope is not in gifts we think we need, but in the Gift we have already been given. It is good to think about that Gift !

"