Anyway, the theme for this week is "What I Want For Christmas." I won't try to get around it, there's a long wish list in my head. Free babysitting for a year comes to mind...or housecleaning...either way I'd be happy. We could use a new car, a new T.V, new shoes, and new bikes for everyone. There's no way most of that's going to happen. The new shoes we might be able to take a swing at. This year has been tighter than ever money-wise, and I've been calling it a "skinny" Christmas - just in my own head until writing it down here. Bearing in mind the circumstances of the majority of the world we are still in the lap of luxury, but for us it is on the modest side.
However, my daughter is becoming more and more generous. I have written before about how she loves to give gifts. It is really a true mark of her personality. She simply enjoys giving to other people. The gifts are sometimes a little odd, but they come from a generous spirit. Today I told her that I was packing up some gifts for her cousins for Christmas and she immediately wanted to give them something, too. Unprompted she said she would think about what she could give them. I thought she would make something since she doesn't really have any money and we weren't going shopping again anyway. She found some gifts (don't want to ruin the surprise) and then insisted on wrapping them herself.
What I really want for Christmas is to stir up this same generous spirit in myself. I don't want our skinny wallets to steal the joy of giving from me. I don't want to hold onto things with grasping fearful fingers. Instead I want to give freely knowing that it is just one more way I can be more as God intended me to be. He gave us this example:
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?.. Romans 8:32a (NIV)So for Christmas I don't so much want to receive as to truly give.
What do you want for Christmas?
4 comments:
That is lovely. I hope you have a brilliant Christmas:) Jen (visiting from bloghop)
Teaching our children to give is the best lesson ever!!!
Here's my post:
http://www.imjustthatway.com/2010/12/special-needs-blog-hop-all-i-want.html
I have been praying for a generous spirit too. I want to give generously, despite this instinct to hoard because things are "skinny" around here too!
Great post! Thank you.
~Jennifer
What a positive attitude you have! A "skinny" Christmas does not mean you won't enjoy it and have a great holiday. I know you read about ours last year being just that way.
And I absolutely love your first two: free babysitting or house cleaning for a year! I could really use those and am adding them to my list now!
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