What do you need?

 

Many years ago, when the kids were little, we had a difficult year. Finances were stretched beyond measure and we were just getting by each day due to a year of difficult situations beyond our control.

Then as if the financial burdens of everyday life were not enough, Christmas time began to approach. Instead of feeling the joy of the season, my husband and I instead felt weighted down with the question “How will we buy gifts for the kids this year?”

As people invited us to parties and events, I would look around at everyone joyously celebrating the season and feel the heaviness of my weary heart.  As December 25^th approached, we finally had to share the inevitable news with our children. We could not afford to buy gifts that year.

I will never forget the pain of sitting them down to tell them that.

But I will also never forget my complete surprise at their response.

There was not a look of disappointment or sadness. They had instead a look of concern. Not for the lack of gifts, but for us, their broken-hearted parents, who obviously were not doing a good job of concealing our broken hearts.

Without even pausing they both shared that they understood. Kids are amazingly observant and they had seen the difficulty of job loss and health issues cause us to struggle that year. They began rattling off all the things that we could do during Christmas break that were free! There was driving around to look at the lights, watching Christmas movies together, baking cookies and having game nights!

I still have a letter that our daughter wrote to us later that evening telling us how thankful she was for all the gifts we had given her in the past and that the most important part of Christmas time was just being able to have family time. She wrote “After all the real reason for the season is Jesus!”

I found that letter the other day and tears came down my cheeks as I read her words.

Each year I remember that time and my heart breaks for the families that are going through a season like we did. A season that actually started to make me resent Christmas! A season that caused dread instead of joy, and worry instead of hope…because Christmas in too many ways had and has become something that it was never meant to be.

It took my kids to remind me of the real reason for the season that year.  It took having nothing to realize that we did not need anything. That the real gift was that baby in the manger. A gift that was given for all to receive.

Sometimes the backdrop of difficulty helps us to see the light.

It certainly did that night long long ago when The Light of The Word was born in the back drop of a dark dingy manger.

Can I tell you that our challenge filled Christmas was one of the best Christmas’ that we have ever had as a family?! We still talk about it today.

Because that year we focused on our time together as a family and the reason for the season…Jesus.

And in that we realized ……He is the only gift any of us really needs.

 

-Pastor Patti