What Do We Do Now With All Those Christmas Gifts?
Can you believe it? Christmas Day has come and gone—just like that.
Over the last month or possibly just this past week, you probably spent a great deal of time writing Christmas cards—purchased from a store or handmade with love—and choosing the ideal gift. The latter is an art in itself. Sometimes, it might even feel like you’re treading through a minefield—getting the wrong gift is akin to setting an explosive off.
You thought long and hard about what to buy for your friends and family, hoping that they would love what you got them. After getting the gifts, you wrapped them up in the fanciest or cheesiest wrapping paper you could find and topped them all off with a ribbon and possibly a beautifully calligraphed tag (that you spent hours trying to master).
Next comes the gift exchange and finally, the time to open the presents you’ve received. You approach with the subtle hope that as much thought and love had been poured into them just as you did for the gifts you prepared. Whether you are a ripper or a peeler, you finally get to the moment of truth—the moment you find out if you like what you see.
So . . . are you happy with all the Christmas gifts you have received?
Well, there are bound to be some presents we absolutely love and some others we’re a little confused by (to put it mildly). Based on what I’ve observed from all my Christmas experiences, here are the three most common ways Christmas gifts are dealt with. I’m curious to know what’s yours.
1. Use it.
If you’ve received something that you like and are able to use, my heartiest congratulations. It could be that new lip tint that is trending this season, or that new book that you’ve had your eye on, or that latest gadget that everyone has been dying to get their hands on. But let’s be honest. Even those have a shelf life. Give it a couple of weeks and soon our attention will be drawn to something else.
Nothing seems to truly satisfy no matter how useful it is, does it?
2. Shelf it.
These are the gifts that befuddle us and make us wonder why anyone would spend money to get them or whether any thought has been put into them. You know what I’m talking about—those liquor chocolates, tacky socks, and bath bombs etc. They are usually left where we last placed them and tucked in a corner till the next spring-cleaning. Out of sight and out of mind. I have seen this happen too often in my own home. These gifts are tricky to handle and often leave us helpless because it seems rude to throw them away and yet we have no use for them.
Is the value of the gift determined by the giver or the recipient?
3. Recycle it.
Yes, you read that right. Some of us are guilty of this (the more practical lot). The unwanted gifts are nicely rewrapped and placed in someone else’s hands the following Christmas. Or we might donate them to the local thrift store to appease our conscience, believing that at least it will go towards a good cause.
Should we ever give given gifts away?
Whichever option we identify with, if we are honest with ourselves, there can never be a gift on earth that can truly satisfy (what with our endless material wants and earthly desires).
However, we know that there is a gift from above (James 1:17) that truly satisfies and never disappoints. It is an indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15) that we can unwrap and unpack over and over again for the rest of our lives—revealing more truths and wonders each time we do so.
It is a timeless gift that never goes out of style. It is original and uniquely ours—written with our names on the gift tags. A gift that keeps our interest piqued at all times and that we desperately need, not just want.
And that gift is Jesus, my friends.
He’s the perfect and irreplaceable gift that must be received and shared.
If you have yet to receive this gift, will you open your hearts to receive it today?
If you’ve yet to share this gift, will you do so even though Christmas is over?
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