Last week, Ed, my neighbour next door, made a special trip into Walmart for an item advertised in its shopping flyer. He shared an earful with me, as store greeter, about wasting his time and gas when he found what he wanted was sold out. The closer it gets to Christmas, the grumpier Ed gets. He says he has a problem because every year, "It is the needless spending of good money on presents for others who really don't need them anyway."
According to Ed, every Christmas season people act like Jesus came to be the saviour of the economy and he, Ed, is forced against his frugal nature into buying and giving gifts because of family pressure. Christmas is a problem because it costs Ed money. "Why do we have this big celebration over Jesus' birth?" Ed challenges. "There wasn't even room for him to be born at the inn and so he was born in a barn and placed in a manger. Nothing to crow about, but here we are every year buying Christmas presents like we had the money of three kings to waste," Ed laments.
"Do you like to get gifts at Christmas?" I asked Ed.
"It depends on the gifts!" Ed answered.
"Well, what's the best gift you ever got at Christmas?" I asked Ed.
"It was a real fine, top-of-the-line pair of Bauer ice skates in Grade 9," Ed answered.
"Was that because they were what you really wanted?" I questioned.
"Well, I needed new skates, as I'd grown out of old ones, but the skates I got were more than I dared hope for. I could not believe how fortunate I was to get them. I was both thrilled and shocked. My parents were not big spenders. I was expecting more used skates, but I got brand new ones. They were fantastic," Ed stated.
"Maybe the gifts you give are fantastic and more than others could hope for," I commented.
"That isn't quite what I've heard about my presents to others, but I don't care. I have no intention of competing with Santa Clause," Ed answered.
Ed is not alone in his view that Christmas is a problem because the pressure is on to buy and give gifts. Many would agree with Ed that Christmas ends up costing them their hard-earned money and they resent it each year.
Christmas is about God giving His Son to us as a gift. Ed knew he needed new skates, but hoped for no more than some second hand ones. Truly great gifts are those that exceed our expectations. Some gifts leave us knowing they are far more than we could hope for. They are top of the line and one of the best gifts just for us.
On the first Christmas, shepherds out in fields watching over their flocks were terrified when an angel of the Lord appeared to them. God knew they needed the good news that a Saviour, who was Christ the Lord, had been born to them in the town of David. They were invited to see the Saviour as a baby. They hurried to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph and the baby in a manger. They returned to their fields glorifying God, knowing God had given them a greater gift than they could have ever hoped for.
