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.