A Mother's Love!

I shared the following story in today's Christmas message, titled:  "Gifts Fit for a King!"

We probably best capture the true essence of gift-giving when we are still quite young.  We want to do something great for our parents.  We want to do something extravagant.  We really want to impress them.  We may even empty our piggy bank as we indulge ourselves in the adventure of buying great gifts for our parents.  This obviously happens after we’ve passed through the home-made gift-giving stage!  

I remember the year that I became fascinated with a horse’s head in an expensive gift shop in Beaver Falls when I was about 10.  I walked to Beaver Falls three times (a five-mile walk - one way) to look it over and evaluate the situation.  If I spent the $10 on it for my mom, then I would have to be a little chincy with everyone else on my list.  But, my love for my mom won out.  I spent the money and bought the horse’s head.  

Now I forgot to mention that my mom had no love for horses.  She had never had a horse and had never been on a horse;  as a matter of fact, she had probably never even been near a horse.  I don’t know what happened to logic that year, but I convinced myself that she just had to have this horse’s head.  

On Christmas morning, when she pulled the tissue out of that expensive looking gift box and gazed on that horse’s head, I knew I’d hit a home run!  She loved it!  She fussed over it and gushed over me for spending my hard-earned allowance money on such a nice gift.  

After Christmas, she called me into the living room one day to discuss a special place for this treasured gift.  My folks had just gotten some new living room furniture, and one end table was rectangular with a lower shelf and a top shelf.  She had placed it on the lower shelf and explained that it looked like it was in a stable.  I was tickled with delight at her creativity!  

In time, the horse’s head was gradually moved further and further back on that lower shelf until it couldn’t be seen by anyone.  I never noticed.  I was a young man before I realized how inappropriate a gift it was for my mother;  yet I love her to this day for the graceful way she handled me and my horse’s head gift!

SAINT NICHOLAS

Saint Nicholas was a bishop in Myra, Asia Minor, somewhere around 325 A.D.

Many legends have arisen around this man.  He is especially remembered as a person who knew, above all else, how to give.  He apparently was a gift-giver who expected nothing in return! 

There is a story of three sacks of gold which were thrown during the night into the window of a poor man.  His daughters lived without hope of suitors, and a dread that they would be forced into prostitution because they had no dowry.

Another story tells of Saint Nicholas begging grain from passing merchant ships to feed his starving people during a famine.  The bishop promised the sailors that at the final weighing in on their return home, not an ounce would be missing.

He was a special friend to children.  He baked bread with sugar and spices for  them.  These first gingerbread men were made in his own image including the mitered cap of a bishop.

He was eventually made the patron saint of Russia - where czars and nobles were named after him.  In Greece, hs is also a patron saint;  Nicholas is still one of the most popular names given to boys there!

But much of these traditions changed when Madison Avenue created an American transformation:

• The bishop's cape was changed to a snowsuit.
• The bishop's miter-hat became a fool's cap.
• The Spirit is replaced by being tipsy on spirits.
• He comes not from Heaven but from the North Pole.
• He's surrounded by elves rather than being accompanied by angels.
• He's become a symbol of greed rather than of generosity.

But some families still preserve the original meanings. 

A table is secretly set - a child's handwriting reads:  "This table was set by Saint Nicholas!"

Cookies are baked and left on the table with a note:  "These cookies were left by Saint Nicholas!"

Beds are made and a note is found:  "This bed was made by Saint Nicholas!"

A car is washed and cleaned - and a note remains:  "This car was cleaned by Saint Nicholas!"

And in the true spirit of scripture - "the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing" - kindnesses are exchanged without credit being assigned!  And the true meaning of Christmas - a gift given without expectation of a return - is restored! 

We need a new wave of Christmas gift tags that have a TO but no FROM.

KIDS GIFTS

Surely every parent has received them:

• a fresh-picked dandelion
• a finger-painting
• a painted rock
• a page from a coloring book
• a cookie made from mud
• a craft from Sunday School


When I was a student at Roberts Wesleyan College, I planned a great day of giving for the campus.  Groups went caroling at the mall.  Other groups went to area nursing homes.  Another group went to the children's wing of Strong's Memorial Hospital in Rocherster, New York (this group gave huge candy canes to the kids). 

Afterward, we met in Garlock Commons for a party.  We shared about our adventures.  One girl stood up and - with tears - told of how meaningful it was to entertain the children at the hospital.  She told us that one little girl had attached to her.  When they had to leave this little girl gave her a big, sticky hug (from the candy cane).  At that point, she turned around and showed us two small, red handprints on the back of her white sweatshirt!

Children can teach us a lot about gift-giving that would ease our stress!  They've captured the concepts of simplicity and sincerity! 

[Finger-painting by Hal's granddaughter, Rylie Grace Kerstetter]

A CHRISTMAS DEVOTION

This vignette is recorded in Mark 12:41-43 (The Voice).

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, where people came to bring their offerings, and He watched as they came and went.  Many rich people threw in large sums of money, but a poor widow came and put in only two small coins worth only a fraction of a cent.

JESUS (calling His disciples together):  Truly this widow has given a greater gift than any other contribution. 

I can just see the disciples scratching their heads.  "Huh?  She only dropped a couple of worthless coins in.  How could her gift be greater than the larger gifts we witnessed?"

Have you ever seen a Dad or a Mom receive a gift from a young child?

When I was young, I wanted to buy my Mom something really special for Christmas!  I went into an expensive gift shop in Beaver Falls.  For some reason, my eyes fell on a horse's head.  I thought it was beautiful!  I just knew my Mom would love it!

[Now, notice, my Mom had no affinity for horses whatsoever!]

It was a difficult decision;  but I paid the dear price of $10 and bought the horse's head.  [No Godfather comments after this, please].  I wrapped it and couldn't wait for Christmas morning!

She opened it and loved it!  After Christmas, she called me into the living room after school one day.  She had decided to place it on the bottom level of one of her end tables.  She explained that it made it look like the horse was in a stall!  I was pleased that she had chosen a special place of honor for my gift.

I only realized much later that this was Mom's ingenius way of getting the horse's head almost completely out-of-sight!  :-)

BOTTOM LINE
Folks, it's not really the gift.  It's the love that motivates you to buy or make the gift! 

Jesus honored the woman because He knew her heart!  He knew she wanted to give!  He knew her sacrifice!  Her gift had meaning!

Keep that in mind as you prepare gifts for Christmas this year...

DON'T GO INTO DEBT!

Why do I say this to you?  Because I've been there and done that, and I've suffered the pain of that process!  I'd LOVE to help you avoid that pain.

Christmas, more than any other time of year, tempts us to spend money we don't have.  We want to be generous.  People are going to give us gifts and we want to reciprocate.  We want people to think well of us.  We don't want them to know that our finances are in horrible shape.

As a result, we short-circuit and start spending on credit.  We block out thoughts about the consequences of our actions.  We satisfy our immediate desires and refuse to allow ourselves to think of the impact this will have on us in January.

Not a good scenario...

If you're on-the-verge of this kind of behavior - STOP!!!!

Don't do it!  Don't set yourself back financially.  Don't set yourself up for misery and depression in the New Year!  Exercise restraint! 

Here are some alternative things you can do to keep your finances from getting worse:

• Let people you usually exchange gifts with know that you're exercising restraint this year because you're trying to restore balance to your finances.  If they really love you, they'll be impressed and understand.
• Write letters instead of giving gifts!  People love to read nice things about themselves!  Write your friends a note telling them everything you appreciate about them.  They'll read it over and over again!
• Use your talents, be creative!  Debbie and I had friends in Maryland named Forrest and Eileen Grauel.  They called and asked if they could stop by.  Upon their arrival, they set up a tape deck and started some music playing.  Forrest sang us a lovely Christmas song;  then they verbally expressed their gratitude and told us what they appreciated about us.  Then they packed up and left!  And we were so blessed! 
• Give away your treasure!  We all have things of value that we keep clinging to.  Give something valuable away!  Include a note telling the person how much this has meant to you over the years.  Write:  "Instead of going out and spending money on something meaningless, I've decided to give you something that actually means a great deal to me."
• Make something!  Give the gift of home-made cookies!  Or something knitted or crocheted.  Carry in a meal!  Put together a photo book of memories or a collage of pictures.  Make a handcraft! 
• Use your skill to do something nice for someone.  If you have mechanical skills, give them a coupon for a free brake job or a detailing job.  Give them a coupon for a home-made meal at your house!  Offer to repair something that you know is broken. 

All of these gifts will be far more appreciated than something you would go out and spend a lot of money on! 

The best gift you could give a lot of your family and friends is the gift of time and attention! 

Just do yourself a favor and DON'T GO INTO DEBT!