The Season of Not Gifting
Far too many of us get stressed out around this time of year because we are trying to live like the rest of the world. We want the perfect picture for our Christmas cards, the best selection of food for our holiday party, and we want to choose the perfect gift for every person on our list to unwrap on Christmas morning. Overall, these goals can lead to stress, burnout, overspending, and a general dislike of the holidays. What if we did something different this year, what if we started the season of not gifting?
Now don’t go thinking I am a Scrooge and stop reading. There are no Bah- humbugs here. I LOVE Christmas! Probably more than most people I know, I love celebrating the holiday. I love celebrating the wonder of the birth of Christ and the announcement by the angels to those shepherds. I love singing songs, gathering to decorate trees, and eating cookies. Thanks to God’s perfect timing, I even celebrate my birthday on December 25th. Yes, I am a Christmas Carol. 🙂
What don’t I love about Christmas? Commercialization instead of celebration. I do not enjoy hearing people whine about the price of gifts, complaining about how early stores put up decorations, or the parking near the mall during the month of December.
I wish we could turn this back into the season of giving instead of the season of gifting. I enjoy receiving a well thought-out present as much as the next person, but I would rather have time to spend with the giver than receive a gift. Time is precious, and it cannot be put on a charge card to be paid off in February.
If we focused on giving, instead of gifting, we would enjoy the celebrations of Hanukkah and Christmas more, with less stress, and way less debt. Give of your time: read a book with your children or grandchildren. Give of your talents: offer to play the piano for a nursing home Christmas party or help cook a community dinner for the less fortunate in your town. Give of your love: share a memory with your family from your own childhood, or stop and really listen to your teenagers about whatever they want to talk about–even if you have no idea what they are referencing! Share your love of Christ– offer to help with a local Christmas pageant, write Christmas cards to shut-ins, or donate to the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign.
There are so many ways to give during the holiday season, without focusing on the gifts. Rather, focus on the people. Spend time praying and asking God how He wants you to serve Him by serving others this holiday season. Do you have Jewish neighbors? Ask them about Hanukkah and why they celebrate. Did you know it is a celebration of God’s provision? Do you have neighbors who celebrate Kwanzaa? Ask them about their heritage and what their favorite memory of childhood is. As ambassadors for Christ, the best way to turn the season of gifting into the season of giving is to give of ourselves. To think of others first, to sing songs with a thankful heart, and to build relationships that will one day give us opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us.
If our focus is on the commercialization of Christmas, we will turn into Scrooges, and we will face the season ahead with sorrow. If we instead focus on the celebration of Christmas–the season of God’s Gift to us through the birth of Christ–we will come and adore Him with thankful hearts.
Carol Emmert and her husband Kurt are in their 15th year of home education. With one graduate and one high school senior, Carol writes with a practical look at the whole journey of home education. Focusing on experienced based education and frugal ways to teach and learn well, Carol offers encouragement that anyone, even working moms, can homeschool successfully. Carol writes for her local newspaper, the TOS Homeschool Review Crew, and reviews books for several Christian Publishers. You can find her love of nature, field trips, and lifelong learning on her blog: Home Sweet Life.
