What Gift Can I Give?
For me and my family, each December is a chance for us to focus on Christ.
We try to do a small thing each day as acts of service, we try to spread cheer and love and we think about how we can keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts every day of the year! We, mix this in with other traditions too, singing Christmas Carols and other Christmas songs, avoiding hearing Last Christmas, decorating our home and biscuits, work meals out, Secret Santa participation, putting our shoes out for Sinterklaas, sending Christmas cards, Elf on the Shelf, waiting for Santa, Christmas Concerts, reading our favourite Christmas stories, watching our favourite Christmas films and buying presents for our family and friends.
One thing I'd never thought about before a friend shared a tradition she and her family do, was getting a gift for the saviour. I realised that Jesus should be the first gift that I think about, it's his birthday that we're celebrating, it's him who I profess to follow, surely we should give him a gift?
My friend and her family each write a gift to the Saviour and put it in a decorated matchbox that they hang from their Christmas tree and it got me thinking, about what sort of gift I could give to the Saviour.
He's already got Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and I don't think he'd want Lynx Africa, or new socks, or as I'm getting this year a piano bench.
What gift would he want from me?
A contrite heart?
More consistent reading of the scriptures?
Acts of service to those around me?
Developing my skills?
Spreading the Gospel?
Repenting of my sins?
More sincere prayer?
Attending the Temple more often?
Sharing my testimony?
Be more kind to those around me?
In the end, I picked something that I've been struggling with over the last few months and put it into a pillow box which I then placed upon the tree. I shared the tradition with Top Ender and all the Young Women one youth night and then Tops and I shared it in a family home evening with Dan Jon and Flyfour, before creating one and putting it on the tree too.
This tradition is one that I'm really looking forward to repeating each year.
We try to do a small thing each day as acts of service, we try to spread cheer and love and we think about how we can keep the spirit of Christmas in our hearts every day of the year! We, mix this in with other traditions too, singing Christmas Carols and other Christmas songs, avoiding hearing Last Christmas, decorating our home and biscuits, work meals out, Secret Santa participation, putting our shoes out for Sinterklaas, sending Christmas cards, Elf on the Shelf, waiting for Santa, Christmas Concerts, reading our favourite Christmas stories, watching our favourite Christmas films and buying presents for our family and friends.
One thing I'd never thought about before a friend shared a tradition she and her family do, was getting a gift for the saviour. I realised that Jesus should be the first gift that I think about, it's his birthday that we're celebrating, it's him who I profess to follow, surely we should give him a gift?
My friend and her family each write a gift to the Saviour and put it in a decorated matchbox that they hang from their Christmas tree and it got me thinking, about what sort of gift I could give to the Saviour.
He's already got Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh and I don't think he'd want Lynx Africa, or new socks, or as I'm getting this year a piano bench.
What gift would he want from me?
A contrite heart?
More consistent reading of the scriptures?
Acts of service to those around me?
Developing my skills?
Spreading the Gospel?
Repenting of my sins?
More sincere prayer?
Attending the Temple more often?
Sharing my testimony?
Be more kind to those around me?
In the end, I picked something that I've been struggling with over the last few months and put it into a pillow box which I then placed upon the tree. I shared the tradition with Top Ender and all the Young Women one youth night and then Tops and I shared it in a family home evening with Dan Jon and Flyfour, before creating one and putting it on the tree too.
This tradition is one that I'm really looking forward to repeating each year.