Berita NECF Newletters

Of Gifts and Giving

Description: by Goh Poh Gaik

I WAS at a women’s meeting in the Klang Valley the other day and was pleased to hear the announcement regarding changes in the way this Women’s Fellowship customarily celebrate Christmas. The usual practice was to bring a gift for the gift exchange.  That way you give a gift and you get one in return.  Although gift giving and gift receiving lend a note of festivity to the occasion, most of us would acknowledge that more often than not the gift we bring home would be some kind of decorative item that gets stashed away at the bottom of a drawer.  And could it also be that the gift we had brought would also be some unappreciated item that the recipient is also going to stash out of sight and out of use?  So the Committee of this Women’s Fellowship – wise and sensible women they are – have decided to do away with this gift exchange.  Instead of giving, mostly unappreciated and unneeded gifts to each other, they will at their Christmas gathering this year bring a cash gift in prepared pink envelopes and place these on the tree.  The money will then be used to purchase gifts for the needy and underprivileged.  Apparently they had done this with great success last year.  The women gave generously.  The gifts bought and given away were appreciated and the recipients had written letters of gratitude to the women.  I was hugely pleased to hear this and to the women I would like to say, “Well done!  That’s the way to go.”

 

Which brings us to look at our fellowships and our households and the way we go about celebrating Christmas.  Are changes in order?   Gifts will feature, of course, because God gave His very best Gift to us in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.   Could we, this time around, identify someone lonely or neglected, someone discouraged, someone going through a period of pain and suffering, to buy a gift for?  There are colleagues, neighbours, relatives, members of our congregations for whom the message of Christmas will take on fresh meaning when we hand over a gift, place a hand on their shoulder and where possible pray for the Lord’s peace for them.  Shopping for these ones will also bring a renewed sense of purpose for us.  And please, no junk item.

 

Women have a definite advantage when it comes to giving gifts.  Food items make welcome gifts and women (some men, too) cook and bake.  So instead of joining the shopping crowd in the mall feverishly looking for gifts, what about staying home and putting your baking/cooking skills to good use?  Your family members will be treated to delicious smells and taste as well!

 

One more observation is in place.  Should you discern that someone in need is going to receive an avalanche of attention and gifts this Christmas season, you may wish to schedule your own gift giving to another later date.  Loving and giving aren’t meant to be seasonal activities. 

 

What about the household/family members?  You may agree on just small gifts giving items that will be appreciated and used.  Draw up some kind of a wish list, like bridal couples do.  There may be no element of surprise but the pleasure is in giving what someone is pleased to receive.

 

And finally and most significantly, let us not forget our Saviour and Lord.  He desires no trinket.  He wants our yielded hearts, our surrendered lives.  On top of your “To Do” list mark in time with the Lord to commune and worship Him.  Then with His river of love flowing through you, go with light step and a full heart to love others in His Name.

 

Have a Christ-filled and blessed Christmas.



[ Back ] [ Print Friendly ]