Happy Christmas Eve! I hope you’ve got a restful day planned – but I know you might be working/travelling/prepping. I really hope your day doesn’t involve any Christmas shopping, eek. But if it does, I’m sure all will be well!
I love buying gifts, but I find it difficult to think of gift ideas for all of my children several times over. I can buy them gifts, but when their lovely grandparents, uncles, aunts, family friends etc. ask me what to buy for them, I run out of ideas.
My daughter has her Birthday in November (every year!), so we have enough trouble trying to think of what to give her, and then as soon as it’s over we’re asking her what she’d like for Christmas. She can never think of anything.
I’m similar, because I spend all year trying to practise contentment, not coveting my neighbour’s donkey, and then suddenly I’m asked to come up with an entire list of things I want. (And my Birthday is in December – every year.) I don’t mean to complain about this, I just find it a peculiar shift.
For weeks I’ve been asking my daughter what she’d like, and she’s been apologising – apologising! – for not knowing. In the end I told her, it’s wonderful to be content. That’s the right thing to be. Well done.
I don’t mean it’s sinful to ask for the latest Richard Osman book for Christmas. But godliness with containment is great gain. I try not to mind either way if I get what I’ve asked for at Christmas. We try not to encourage our children to write lists and especially not to get their hearts set on anything in particular. Maybe this is weird? But we just try to set their expectations low.
So here’s my big Christmas Eve tip. Let’s prepare our hearts, and our children’s hearts, for a contented Christmas Day. Let’s warn them that someone else will probably get a gift that they’d really like, and someone will buy them a gift which they don’t want. It’ll be wrong. It’ll be very wrong or just not quite right. That gift will likely be from me. Sorry in advance!
We can pray that God would make us thankful instead.
Thankful that he gives us breath in our lungs.
Thankful that he gives us people who love us.
Thankful that he has given us the greatest, most costly gift.
Thankful that he is all we need and more.
What freedom there is in being thankful!
19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart. Ecclesiastes 5
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6
Mum in Zone One 