How Did We Get Here?

12/14/2022

Written By: Margie Davis

Last year as Rick and I sat among a mound of presents waiting to be wrapped, I thought, “How in the world did we get here”? As we sat there with aching backs and empty wallets, we tried to remember what we had given and received last year and not much was memorable.

I found myself longing for the years when the grandkids were small, and the gifts were easy to buy. There was so much joy in GI Joe, play food sets and Barbie. As they got older, it seemed impossible to stick to my budget and I found myself just adding things to my online cart, fully knowing I was going overboard! Trying to find the perfect gifts for each person in our family, which now totaled more than 30 people, was becoming impossible. And the gifts weren’t even leaving a lasting memory! How in the world did we get here??

How did we ever start the tradition of giving gifts to everyone except the birthday Boy (obviously Jesus) in celebration of His birth anyway? This is what I found out.

In ancient Rome, gift giving occurred near the winter solstice in December and was not even related to the birth of Christ. And in some cultures, the gifts were more commonly given on New Year’s Day to celebrate the coming of the new year! Once the date of December 25 was established as the probable date of Jesus’s birth, the tradition of gift giving was tied to the story of the Magi giving gifts to baby Jesus.

Together with another story, that of Saint Nicholas, a Christian bishop and gift-giver, it slowly became a part of Christmas celebrations in the UK and other Christian countries. But the custom of giving gifts to children wasn’t even spread to the US until the 19th century!

The big party type atmosphere at those early celebrations was NOT G rated and as such not a place for the littles! They slowly began involving the children in order to cut down on the extreme drunken revelry that was taking place during the celebration! And that is how we got here. A little disappointing, isn’t it?

We all want to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. We are well aware that incurring debt to buy momentary happiness does not honor Christ. We see the social media posts with all the happy families and the perfect decorations, and we begin to feel the stress. Comparison is a cruel mental weapon we use against OURSELVES!

Is gift giving BAD? Of course not. In Acts 20:35 Luke quotes Jesus in saying “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Generosity is GOOD for us! Research shows that being generous activates the part of the brain that makes you feel pleasure! Gift giving is a good thing. This scripture was specifically speaking of working hard in order to provide for “the weak.” Gift giving reflects the character of God.

BUT there is a caveat. MOTIVE. I have become increasingly aware that at times, my motivation for buying the perfect gift for our children and grandchildren has somehow become about me! Years and years of trying to outdo the year before has become nearly impossible. I’m at the end of it. So, Rick and I have changed things a bit this year and while I am still adapting, I know it was time. Memories will be made and that is most important.

Life carries on to the next generation. What will be remembered of us is how well we have shown the love of Christ to others. Are we grudge holders or grace givers? Do we look after the needs of those who require a little more patience or only those from whom we get a positive return? Are we leading out in faith because we want the same things for our family that Jesus does? Or are we silent about sin because we don’t want to rock the boat?

It's Christmas time. Put up all the lights. Decorate your home and make it the place everyone wants to be. Bake cookies with your kids and grandkids. Establish traditions that they want to carry on. Give gifts that express your love without any need to shine a light on yourself. Let someone off the hook. Bring JOY into the room with you! Be a listener. There are a million ways to give the most important gift, which is love! Christmas is the perfect time to do it!

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6b