Gifts That Matter

The Christmas season can be one of excitement and happiness. It may be a time chaos and stress. For many it is a time of impulse shopping, financial indiscretion, and materialism. Some may find it to be a time of mourning and of loss for those we love who are no longer with us, and without whom there is a void in our lives.

It can also be a time of great peace. This season can bring contentment and healing as we focus on the love of Jesus Christ, and on his birth which brought hope and joy to our world.

The Savior spent his life, his ministry, giving. He gave sight to the blind, he raised the dead, he healed the sick, he calmed the tempests; he forgave sins, he gave peace to the soul, love to the world. He suffered for each of us, and then he gave his life that we might gain life eternal.

I have no doubt that the gifts you open on Christmas morning will bring excitement and happiness. Those emotions will be fleeting, they may last minutes, or they may last months, but they will fade. The joy that objects bring to us always fades. There is always something else to want, to need. There will be something more exciting, you will change and that change will bring new interests, new desires, new excitement, new passion. I'm excited for the opportunity to watch you grow and change and to see your wishlists evolve, that's a wonderful part of life. However, I want more than to give you toys, games and treats.

I would that I could give you something more lasting. 

I would give you confidence. 

I would give you kindness, generosity and selflessness. 

I would give you a happy disposition, the ability to lift others and bring them joy. 

I would give you faith and hope. 

I would give you integrity. 

I would give to you a desire to work hard. 

I would give you a heart so big, and a love so strong that it would change the world. 

I would give you peace in your soul, quiet in your mind and contentment in your heart.

I can't. You have to live and grow and experience and seek your own gifts. Through your trials you will have the opportunity to grow and gain your own gifts and talents, and through my words and actions I can try to ease your path and help guide you along the way.

I can show you kindness, fill your world with laughter. 

I can encourage you when life is hard, and teach you to seek for the positive. 

I can explore with you and discover the world at your side. 

I can be patient and hope that you learn from my example. 

I can praise you and hope that praise sinks deep into your mind and teaches you to believe in yourself. 

I can labor with you and show you by my attitude what it means to find work rewarding. 

I can share a smile and a kind word and express the joy it feels to lift another's spirit. 

I can share my faiths, my beliefs and hope that they resonate with your soul.

I will fall short, I will make mistakes, and hopefully as I work to improve and reconcile my actions with my beliefs you will learn to apologize, to forgive yourself, and to keep on trying. I will give you my love, and hopefully in my words, in my embrace, you will find the peace that will fill your soul.

I love you.

Let's make this season a season of gratitude. 

Cancelling Christmas???

I just finished reading a blog post at Over the Big Moon, written by a mom who has decided, with her husband, not to give Christmas gifts to her children this year because of their entitled, ungrateful, disrespectful behavior.
You can find the post here, and I would highly recommend reading it.

Before I go any further, I want to say:
1. I believe that their intentions are good, very good.
2. The acts of service they are doing with their children instead of presents for Christmas are wonderful.
3. These are obviously parents who are not intimidated by their children. They are willing to make difficult decisions in order to raise good children, and they stand their ground once the decision is made. The world needs more parents who will lovingly set and enforce boundaries.

Also, I've heard parents, grandparents, even teachers, threaten something along the lines of "If you're not good Santa won't bring you any presents" hundreds of times. Every kid knows this is an empty threat, well every kid but these kids, because of all those times this is the first time I've actually heard of that threat being followed through.


However, even with all the things I think are good coming from this decision, I still disagree with the concept.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16

We didn't deserve him. We make bad choices, we make mistakes, we sin intentionally and accidentally. We yell, we gossip, we criticize, we lie just a little, we are unforgiving, we are unrepentant. We are negative and complaining instead of comforting and uplifting. We don't remember to thank our Father often enough. We are imperfect (at best).

Luke 2:7-11

7  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Despite our ungratefulness, our poor choices, our sense of entitlement, our lack of respect, our Father gave the gift of our Savior, the gift of Christ.

We didn't deserve it.

Hopefully we are trying to better ourselves, perfect ourselves. Hopefully we are being a good example to our children; an example of gratitude, of apologizing, of repenting, and of forgiving.

I give my children Christmas gifts because they are my children. Because I love them. Because it's symbolic of the gift our Father gave to us. 
Gifts do not have to be numerous, expensive, or store-bought.
They can be inexpensive, simple, second-hand, or handmade.

As parents, we have chosen to keep Christmas small in order to keep our focus on the Savior.
We hope that this will help our children learn to curb their desires, and to be more grateful for the few gifts they receive.
As difficult as it is to not be able to give children all the things they want, it can be just as difficult to choose not to give them everything you can afford. 
I don't think that choosing to go without gifts at Christmas in order to give more service is a bad idea, but I feel that it should be a decision made together, not a punishment.

Share the Gift
mormon.org