Gift giving, especially to children, is a minefield of emotional explosions.  They immediately tell you how they really feel.  There’s no middle ground between, “I like it” and “I don’t like it!”.  We have eight grandsons (no girls), so Sharon and I have spent many years on that minefield between eight annual birthdays and eight Christmases.  We’ve watched clothes thrown over their shoulders and even tears.  Recently one of them said to me, “It wasn’t on my list”.  The first person who ever said, “It’s the thought that counts” was dead wrong!  If you try to explain that to your kids, you’re spitting in the wind.  Additionally, if you’ve ever forced your child to say “thank you” for a gift they didn’t like, in their little mind thankless always follows thoughtless.

     By contrast, but not by much, “grown-ups” for the most part have mastered their emotional responses by either acting grateful for the undesirable gift (abilities vary) and thinking, “I can return this for cash”, or “I can re-gift this”.  So I conclude, if the gift is not perfect, the “thought” counts for nothing.  In my opinion, the use of “lists” to avoid minefield explosions feels more like a dud—the element of surprise is lost altogether.  Besides, most lists are filled with wants and rarely needs.  Kids don’t know the difference as every want is considered a need.

     I know I’m old school, but I’m a happy curmudgeon because of a gift I received many years ago from someone who knew me very well and loved me more than I thought.  His gift was well planned, well throughout and well timed.  And to my surprise the gift was very needed then and for all the years since.  It has never worn out or become outdated!  And I’ve never grown tired of it.  In fact, it has grown more valuable to me.  I treasure the gift for it consistently grants me love and joy and peace and hope even in the worst of times.

     A man once met with Jesus seeking truth and the answers to life.  In their conversation, Jesus summed up his thoughts by the following:

 “God the Father loves you so much that he gives you his one and only Son,

  and anyone who believes in Him will enjoy abundant and everlasting life”

 (John 3:16 – my paraphrase).  Earlier John wrote, “…all who receive Christ

become children of God…” (1:12).

This was the gift God gave to me when I received Christ to be my Savior from sin and hope for eternal life.  The gift of Christ has never been “a thought that counts” but a genuine reality of love, joy, peace and hope.  However, at this time of Christmas celebration we see worldwide hopelessness.  People everywhere are looking for a way out of their fear, frustration and disappointments.  All escapisms are on the rise.  People are open and looking for answers today.  If you have received God’s gift of Christ, He desires that you re-gift His gift.  Won’t you pray to the Father and sincerely ask Him to send a hopeless person across your path--perhaps a friend or a stranger?  When you pray, God will delight in your willingness and do it.  God enjoys making appointments for His children!  But you must remain aware or you’ll miss the appointment.  Be ready to give a simple answer for the hope that is within you (I Peter 3:15).