Lollette Oliva-Alipe (posted on momofmultitudes.blogspot.com)
"Oh no! I'm not done with my shopping!" That's the usual plaintive cry of many as the countdown to Christmas steamrolls on. Before we know it...BANG! Its Christmas!
For many years, I was one in the throng of last-minute Christmas shoppers, squeezing my way through the congested corridors of the malls. I stood patiently (said in a sarcastic tone) in long queues surrounded by plastic bags like a tree with mushrooms sprouting around it. Merry carols in the background notwithstanding, the faces of the people around me looked as tight as Saran wrap, and just as stressed as me. And don’t get me started on the traffic! Back at home, I was on a frenzied cycle of wrapping, baking and decorating, then wrapping some more. There seemed to be just too much to do in so short a time, and many times, with a limited budget to work with! 26 days to go...12 days to go...5 days to go...Aauugh!!
Then came the doubts. Will she like this? Will this fit him? Will they even notice my gift among all the others? How much should we spend for this person who gives us such-and-such business? Fruit cake? No way!!Haaay!
Christmas had become a dreaded holiday for me, until the Lord showed me how to
deconstruct Christmas and lessen the usual stress. In other words, He showed me how to
see His birthday through the eyes of a child.
Three years ago we started a Christmas gift-giving project for the Sunday school students in our church. The children put together fun goodies (toys or gooey candies) or practical stuff (t-shirts or toothbrushes) for another child of similar age and they put these in boxes they decorated. Up in the mountains in one of our outreach areas, each student was able to give his or her box to a poor child. Imagine the delight of the children receiving the gifts! But what was more amazing was the impact the gift-giving had on our Sunday school kids. They saw they were able to bring so much happiness to another child with even just the simple items in the gift box. They learned that when we bless others, we get blessed even more.
In our Sunday school classes, we have children from a nearby outreach area learning alongside the kids of our members. So, for the Christmas “exchange gifts”, we asked each kid bring a small gift to give to their poor classmates. It was a fair “exchange” -- the poor child received a Christmas gift, and the kid who gave it was blessed with a smile of gratitude.
And so I began to re-think how I viewed Christmas and re-focus the frenetic gift-giving it usually entails. I began to prioritize giving gifts to those who cannot give me any gift in return.
This year, I went shopping downtown on Lincoln Street (my shopping haven) for toys and small items like slippers, notebooks etc. for our church’s Christmas Backpack project.
Every member sponsored one or more children by stuffing a backpack with goodies.
During our worship service on the 26th, the sponsors were able to personally give the backpacks to their sponsored child. Our gift-giving had more meaning because there was an actual face -- a smiling one at that -- attached to it. At home, I filled bags with goodies for my helpers’ kids, and a Christmas ham for their family. The items were not expensive, but seeing their smiles showed me they were happy to receive the gifts.
Giving to someone who cannot give you something in return? Its the essence of the first Christmas! John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life.” What a grand Gift! No way I will ever be able to return the favor!
Want to minimize Christmas stress? Deconstruct, and go back to what it really is all about -- the gift that can never be repaid...the Gift that gives joy, hope and life.//