Like most of us I have many fond memories of the Christmases of my childhood. I remember family gatherings and the great food. I remember decorating our Christmas tree, which was a cedar cut from one of our fencerows (they had the sharpest needles I’ve ever seen). We had one string of lights with big bulbs, and we always put tinsel on the tree. I also remember some of the gifts I received. Our family didn’t have very much when I was young, but I always received one special gift, most of which I can still recall. One year I received an Erector set and another year a little chemistry set. One of the first that I remember was a realistic red-painted barn that my mother had made out of cardboard and furnished with toy animals and a toy tractor complete with implements. Even as a child I realized the love and affection these gifts represented.

Today many feel that Christmas has become too commercialized, and that Christmas gift-giving has gotten out of hand. I agree, but this is nothing new. Wide spread gift giving at Christmas developed during the 1800s with Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens both playing a role. By the end of the 19th century department stores such as Macy’s, Wanamaker’s and their counterparts elsewhere heavily promoted Christmas, which even then produced a significant portion of their yearly profits. By the early 1900s there were many who were against this commercialization, and you can find editorials and sermons from this period expressing this view. Now, most would say it is worse.

While we should avoid the excesses urged on us by this commercialization, there are still good reasons for choosing Christmas as a time to give gifts to our loved ones. First, these gifts are symbolic of the gifts given to the Christ Child by the Wise Men from the east. Second, these gifts should remind us of God’s greatest gift to us, His grace made real through the birth of His son. To learn about the gifts given to the Christ Child, read Matthew 2:1-12, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim