Hello and welcome to Beauty – the no-frills, no-nonsense podcast about all things beauty. True Beauty. God’s beauty. I am your host, Deanna, and today we are talking about gifts.
Good gifts and bad gifts.
I have given my share of both! Let me share a quick example of a bad gift, mostly because I have felt guilty about it for an entire year. I had the best of intentions, but totally missed the mark.
Last Christmas, all my oldest granddaughter wanted was an iPod. As much as her grandpa and I wanted to deliver, we just thought it was too expensive and the responsibility was too great for a tiny human to handle. It was risky to spend so much money on a small, highly breakable electronic item. A lot could go wrong, ya know? So, in our infinite wisdom as the elderly grandparents that we are, we bought a MP3 player instead.
Smart, right?
The answer is a hearty no. Not smart at all. When I went to load music, I found it would only take a certain file type – and it wasn’t the file found on our music apps. MP3 players do not load apps, so it wasn’t compatible. After reading lousy instructions and viewing online tutorials, I determined I just needed a different type of MP3 player.
Needless to say, grandma is a little behind the times. I was bamboozled. A new MP3 player did not do the trick, and our sweet granddaughter did not get the gift she really wanted. I felt horrible all year (she didn’t forget). Grandpa and I are working on a plan to fix that this year, though.
I know today’s #GratefulHeartWriting prompt is a bad gift, but I do want to turn the table a little and go back to yesterday’s prompt – a good gift. No one purposely gives a bad gift, so let’s talk about the qualities that make a good gift – Top Ten style, because it is Friday.
To me, a good gift is:
* A gift you have thought about. It takes time to create a gift list. It requires asking and listening and watching - and then thinking about how to meet a need or bring a smile or add value…but we will get to all of that.
* A gift you have made personal. That could mean the thought you put into the gift is demonstrated in a tangible way, but it could also mean you made the gift. Some of my most favorite gifts from my mom are the gifts she worked on all year long to give to us at Christmas.
* A gift that creates a memory - maybe in the way it was given, or maybe in the experience of the actual gift itself.
* A gift that is useful. We all giggle about getting socks and underwear from grandma at Christmas, but once we started paying for our own socks and underwear, we started to add those things to our Christmas wish list!
* A gift that has no strings attached. I don’t ever want to make someone feel like I want a gift in exchange.
* A gift that is helpful - like a gift card or cash to pay for a necessity, or even for something you wish you could buy, but just can’t justify it in the budget.
* A gift that makes someone feel loved, valued, or special. I think this goes back to being thoughtful and intentional in gift giving, along with the next one...
* A gift that adds value to someone’s life.
* A gift that shows you know the recipient. You have listened to them and tried to present a gift that would make them smile.
* And, last, but not least, a gift that is generous – not to be confused with lavish - there is a difference. Some of the most generous gifts I have ever given or received have been gifts of time and homemade gifts.
Now, most “good gifts” would not fit neatly into all ten categories, but there is one gift that certainly would (and then some) – the gift of Jesus.
We all know the real meaning of Christmas is not at all focused on packages tied with pretty bows. It is about the gift of a baby in a manger – the best gift we will ever receive. Given with much thought and anticipation of our acceptance. A genuine and thoughtful gift, personalized for each one of us, given extravagantly with unending love. This gift creates a memory for a lifetime of learning and growth, which adds great value to the receiver, but also keeps giving as the receiver learns to also give. It is the most generous gift, but it is not a gift that money can buy. It is unexpected, undeserved, and given with the utmost care and love. It is a gift that should be cherished and savored and cultivated.
We can give good gifts and we can give bad gifts, but the best gift is Jesus, who gave his life in the worst kind of way.
I don’t know about you, but my gift-giving list has been shortened this year (for a lot of reasons), but mainly, I want to be intentional with the people most important to me. I want to invest in them in ways beyond bags filled with goodies. I want them to be encouraged and strengthened in their faith. And I want them to acknowledge the greatest gift - it will never be the one I give them.
Tell me about your gift experiences. Do you have a gift you can’t wait to give this year?
D 😊
