When I was growing up, no matter how tough things were at home, there was always a gift under the Christmas tree for my two siblings and me.
The gifts were simple but meaningful to each of us: Silly Putty, GI Joe, Trouble Game Board, Battleship, Hot Wheels, Slinky, Etch-a-Sketch and many others.
As a kid, I had no idea of the financial challenges my parents faced or the limited resources we had. It wasn’t until years later that I learned how hard they worked to give us the best Christmas possible.
The packages under the tree wrapped in red, green and white with my name made me happy. It’s not the toys I remember most, but the love that came with the gifts.
Love is the greatest gift that we can receive and give to others. It’s not the size of the gift but what’s in the heart that makes the gift.
It’s not the cost of the gift but the depth of our love that gives value to what we give. Mother Theresa said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
I think more than anything else, people want to be loved. We want to be loved by our parents, spouse, children, church community and those close to us.
We want to feel love. Men and women want to fall in love. And when we fall out of love, we pray to love again. More than toys, games, electronics kids yearn for love from their parents.
A solider away from home misses the love of his family. The elderly women without her spouse of 60 years feel sad without the love of her life. The holiday table is empty without the loved one being present.
Isn’t the message of Christmas about love? It is the greatest story about the greatest gift that anyone can receive, God’s love expressed in the Christ Child. During this Christmas, why not make love our gift? Love is the gift that keeps on giving!
Prayer: Lord help us to demonstrate our love, not only during the season but beyond.
