Some of the best gifts are homemade (my husband made these guys!)
The Perfect Gift
Christmas is one day away, and I’m still trying to come up with a super meaningful gift for my sweet loved ones.
Every year I make something for my kids, but this year’s been kind of busy and I haven’t been able to come up with anything new. In the past, I’ve done the jar of inspiration, special notebooks of memories, Shutterfly books, and calendar collages. But this year I want to give them more. Something with more meaning and depth.
But what?
The few ideas I have had will take more time than I have left or are too similar to what I’ve done in the past. It’s so hard to make each year better than the last.
Do you have this problem?
I know Christmas isn’t about the gifts. Just spending our day together will be a blessing all on its own, but still I’m driven to give them something more meaningful than that thing at the top of their list. But what is this meaningful, creative, unusual thing?
The Bad Idea
I did have one idea I started to do. It involved the internet and a fake email account, but it got to a point where I started to feel very uncomfortable so I stopped. Probably a good thing, since my kids are kind of private and putting their life story out on the internet for everyone to comment on would not have been a “gift” at all.
So, I’m back to square one. How to find the perfect gift.
I think the first step is to probably let go of the idea of “a perfect gift.” It’s way too subjective. What I think might be brilliant and wonderful (internet scrapbook of life) might not be seen with the same fondness by someone else.
The next thing I probably need to do is get everything back into perspective. Love isn’t something that’s shown one day a year. It’s really an ongoing thing, and me coming up with a great gift won’t change that. The really important gifts we give people aren’t usually wrapped with a bow on top. They are things like time, caring, kindness, and they last longer than a tin of homemade cookies.
Making it More
And finally, I guess I should go back and read my last blog post. All this gift giving and Christmas busyness should and can mean more than just being the same things we do year after year. They can be acts of worship. Quiet, tangible reminders that Christmas is about more. It’s about life, hope, faith, peace, joy, and love. It’s about the perfect gift of love.
I’m not going to be able to top that.
May all that we do over the next few days bring us back to the love, sacrifice, and completeness of God—what he has done for us and what he promises to do.
Merry Christmas!
