Have you ever wondered how much is enough? This is the Christmas season when we all want to give our loved ones everything they want and I am just as bad as everyone else. I remember looking at my daughters' list of things they wanted for Christmas. We always wanted to get them everything on the list. How many gifts do we need under the tree? I liked the way my parents did it – one thing we asked for and then socks, underbottoms and other clothing we needed. It was still a surprise when we opened our gifts, pretty much.
I remember being a child and having my list for Christmas. I wish I remembered how my list was made but I do remember it was always the same – one item. My Mom said she was always surprised I only wanted one thing. Do you remember your list? I only remember one item I never received Christmas morning. I wanted a playhouse for my backyard that was big enough that I could play in it all by myself. I always looked outside on Christmas morning and it was never there. The first year I asked for it and didn’t get it, I decided it was a lost cause. It certainly wasn’t what I wanted the next year. I remember asking for a Marionette Puppet one year. I got it! It was a clown dressed in red and white with red strings extending to its T-bar at the top where you could make it walk and play. I spent hours playing with it but more hours untangling its strings. When I was in the 5th grade I couldn’t wait for Christmas morning. I had asked for what I considered was my first grown up gift – a chemistry set. I had even cut out the picture of the exact one I wanted. I got up early that morning, went to the tree, examined all of the gifts and when I found the one that felt right on the outside (three sections where it opened) I was able to go back to sleep and know what I wanted was under the tree. This wasn’t new for me.
I was a package “investigator” in my younger days. If it had my name on it I would try to figure out what was in it. Then I found that you could slit a piece of tape, open a package, and tape it back with the exact same size piece of tape to make the giver none the wiser. I was REALLY bad. Mike learned about my “habit” when I wanted a fondue pot and just days before Christmas, I said I wanted to use a fondue pot to take something to a party we were attending. I said I knew there was one under the tree and I would like to use it early. I offered to re-wrap it and put it back after the party. I don’t think he liked that much and gifts have never been put under the tree early since that time. Okay, maybe one year – the year he got me a beautiful opal ring he wrapped it like an ornament on the tree and put it on the inside of the tree on a branch. I passed it for weeks and never saw it. Now we all hide our gifts until Christmas morning.
Of course, I had Holly. She is very much like her Mother in more ways than she knows. One year she wanted a Timex Triathlon watch. I bought it, wrapped it, and put it with the other gifts under my Mom’s bed. Mom had a trundle day bed but didn’t have the extra mattress so it was a perfect place to hide gifts. On Christmas Eve Mike and I went in to get our wrapped gifts and found that the tape on any gift that had Holly’s name on it was opened. Mike and I put our heads together, removed the watch from the box, wrapped the box identically (my tape skills paid off) and we placed the box under the tree. We decided it would be the very last box given to her that morning. Holly opened the box and the look on her face was priceless. She asked about the empty box. I told her I thought it was a great, sturdy box she could use for several things and thought she would like it. She said it is a Triathlon watch box. I then asked if the watch was there when she opened it the first time! BUSTED!! From then on we had to find “inventive” ways to keep gifts away from her at Christmas.
No matter what you want for Christmas, remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Celebrate the fact that Jesus came and died for YOU. Why? To have a relationship with YOU. Do you think your Mom and Dad loved you? Well God LOVES you more than your parents, siblings or friends. How do I know? Psalm 139 talks about God knowing us every minute, whatever we are doing, wherever we are. It has 24 verses that can change your understanding of God. Why? It is because God formed you and me and desires our fellowship. “I choose” to daily have a personal relationship with Him. Do you?
Julie,
ReplyDeleteLove your topic!! I remember some Christmases, and we made lists, too. Don't remember much about what I got, but I always loved the Christmas Eve services at church. We had such a fabulous priest and he always opened our eyes to God's beauty especially that time of year. He's still alive too! We email somethings.
My sons were the package openers ! They would take the the hinges off the locked furnace room door to find out what they were getting sometimes when they were teens!
Such good memories, thanks for the reminders. :-)