CHOOSING THE RIGHT GIFT is often a difficult endeavor. Will it be the right size, the correct color, the desired item? Will it truly communicate that we care, that we desire to impart joy? Will it be well received and often used, or will it be quickly forgotten and thrown in the far reaches of the hall closet? Oh, the questions that plague the thoughtful gift-giver.
I have received some pretty wonderful gifts over the years. However, there are a few gifts that I am still wondering what they were. Some of the gifts, given years ago, still find themselves being worn, used and enjoyed. What makes a gift truly a gift that will last? Maybe it would be better to phrase the question, “What gifts last?”
Toys break. Clothes wear out. Food is consumed. Books are read. CD/DVDs get scratched. Computers crash. Candles burn out. Perfume gets used up. The list goes on. So, what are those things that truly lasts? I am sure we can come up with a few items, but allow me to suggest just one for our perusal.
Words.
Words of love, words of encouragement, words of compassion, and words of peace. These are the gifts which are received with joy and which pay out dividends long into the future. These are gifts that always fit, and are not hidden away in the closet, but treasured in the heart. These are the gifts that last.
Maybe that is why “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) God knew what we needed, and God gave the Gift that would last; the Living Word, Jesus.
So may we give.
Merry Christmas.

I MUSE OVER THIS WEEK’S EDITION of the Shepherd’s Staff I am sitting by the fire, listening to the rain on the skylight and taking a “sick day.” I thought I could beat this cold, but alas, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, and today, well let’s just say, “I’m down but not out.” But, this down time does afford me the opportunity to think and pray, and to ponder the depth of the realities that we celebrate in this season of the year.
The Christmas presents have begun to accumulate under our Christmas tree and as I gaze at them I am saddened by the fact that there will be some presents missing this year. There will be no presents from or for my mom and dad, and most likely for my daughter Krista as well. But more than the lack of brightly wrapped packages, I shall miss their physical presence more.
Christmas is about presence. It’s not about God sending us some glorious wrapped box, but sending His presence in the Person of Jesus. The gift of God was His very presence in our world. The giving of God’s gift is our greatest motivation for giving during this season and hopefully throughout the year. His example should be our example.
With this in mind, it is clear that the greatest gift we can give to each other is more than just a present under the tree, but our presence with each other. Being with each other to listen, share, hold and enjoy. Just “being there” with those we love, and even with those we don’t. We, as followers of Jesus, are called to incarnational giving; being there with and for each other. This kind of Christmas presence may be more difficult to buy and wrap than the traditional gift placed under the tree, but its worth is far more lasting.
May we all experience the Christmas Presence this year, and may we share the gift freely.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS CAN BE AN EMBARRASSING time for me. Embarrassing because in the task of un-shelving all the boxes filled with the Christmas decorations I once again come face to face with all the stuff that clutters my garage. Having to move boxes of this and that in order to get to more this and that is a sad reminder of just how much stuff fills my life. It makes me long for a much simpler life.
Even more troubling is the reality that this cluttered garage is sometimes emblematic of the whole of my life. My days seem filled with clutter, things which too often keep me from the truly important things. In fact, my life can be so cluttered that I even lose sight of the important things. Important things like faith, family and friends. What’s a guy to do (besides setting fire to the garage that is)?
While musing over the clutter of my life, especially during this season of the year, I came across a quote from Julie Morgenstern, in her book, Organizing from the Inside Out, she writes, “Ritual clutter comes from making something into such a production that the activities and thoughts associated with that thing become almost paralyzing.” I think she has hit it right on the head.
I find this “ritual clutter” also fills my relationship with Jesus. I find myself making my daily journey into such a production of specific activities that I never really reach the point of living in relationship with Him. I find myself too worried about praying first, then reading my Bible, then jotting down thoughts in a journal, and if I don’t do it just that way it just wasn’t a valid “time with the Lord.” I don’t think this was the relationship Jesus desires to have with me.
Jesus desires us to live with Him as He lives with us. He desires that we enjoy the journey, taking time to enjoy all the blessings, even those which come during the difficult steps along the path. Sometimes I think we need to lay all the hiking equipment down and just enjoy the walk with our Lord, especially during this season of the year.
Peace.