Friday, November 17, 2006

MORE BLESSED TO RECEIVE


I've never made a Christmas list. I'm one of those people who pass hints to folks all year long and double my efforts of dropping hints in the month of November. Inevitably, I still end up with wonderful things I didn't want. But that's okay. Christmas is about receiving...not giving, anyway. WHAT? I know, that's not what your momma always told you. But it's true. Hear me out.

One year I wanted something, I can't remember what because it never bothered me after I didn't receive it. But what I got instead? The most darling pair of plaster hearts with Abby's (my then year-old granddaughter's) impressed handprint. And a matching heart of her 4 year-old sister Brooklyn's hand. I can't even think of anything I could have wanted more, not even the group picture of all my grandchildren wearing Santa hats. And that was the last Christmas my entire family was together.

Then there was one Christmas (which were very few in number) that my husband and I couldn't make it to Oklahoma for the family celebration on Christmas Eve. In the mail in Kentucky, I received a wonderful too-large Teeshirt with all the grandchildren's handprints on it. Oh what a wonderful warm hug I received when I wore it. I'd been missing them so much.

Then there was the time my then ten-year-old son wrapped his school project in tissue and gave me one of my greatest treasures. A plaster mold of his hand. Imprinted on that right hand is the scar left over from when God saved him and his hand when he was hit by a schoolbus at the age of five. Today, I get to hold that hand anytime I want. It occupies a very important place on my bookshelf in my dining room. It's nestled in the midst of other memorabilia that Chad once held in his adult hands. A book, WILD AT HEART, a seashell he collected for his daughters. GOD'S LITTLE DEVOTIONAL BOOK FOR DADS. His Bible. A flat carpenter's pencil with imprinted teeth bites from holding it in his mouth after marking a tile he had to cut. A rawhide necklace with a cross of nails he never left home without.

No longer will his strong hands massage the taut muscles from my shoulders while I make his favorite pie for Christmas dinner. But God knew this day would come and He provided that little plaster hand for me to hold and remember the good times.

Amazing how much a gift can mean that you never even dreamed of receiving.

Today, I see all the nutty people camped out in front of Wal-mart, Best-Buy and other places. For what? A playstation game. A game that pulls the user's mind into it in such a way that the world could explode around them and they wouldn't notice. A dinner table ladened with twenty-four hours of mom's devotion is devoured in one bite so one can return to the magic-playstation. A box of dominoes lies buried in yesterday's memory box of family laughter of building long trains together. The persistent toddler's plea of "daddy will you play puzzles with me?" is not heard. A teenage daughter's lament that life isn't fair because this was the day her forever-loving boyfriend broke up with her, doesn't even register in anyone's mind.

A baby could cry or giggle or be born. Who would notice?

I hope everyone reading this will think a bit more about what they receive this year at Christmas. I am so grateful I received the Saviour born in Bethlehem so very long ago. And though we may debate the actual time of His birth, we mustn't debate the reality of His birth, Death and Resurrection. Nor the reason why it is far more blessed to receive than to give in this case. [copyrighted by SelahV 2006]

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

That was really good .I like the part about camping our in front of Walmart, and Best Buy ,how true. It was so good I decided to send it to my family. Blessings, BJ.

SelahV said...

BJ: thanks for taking time to read my little post and commenting.

I cannot believe how much attention the media is giving to the selfish greed of Americans. And the hateful attitudes they have towards one another because they aren't getting what they want when they want it. And now they are saying that those silly playstations are selling for over 13,000 on ebay! All because someone wants it now. That is the very reason our society is WACKO.

We gotta have it now. We'll just pay later. Then we don't pay because we don't have it later. Because we're out buying something else that we're gonna pay later for. It's a vicious cycle. Just like minimum wage increases. Instead of trickle down, it's trickle up.

Lord help our wanton hearts. SelahV

Anonymous said...

voYou mentioned minimum wage increase...my question is what happens to those making $7.50 and up per hour now. Everything is going to go up so everyone will need a wage increase.
I don't get excited about Christmas shopping. I try to shop all year long gifts so I don't have to camp out at Wal-Mart!!

meg