So This is Christmas...

Every year, when Christmas comes around, I get caught up in the whole "I love Christmas, but hate the whole commercialism aspect." But this year, I came to the stark realization that this is Christmas. The Christmas's I remember from my youth are gone. The days of gifts being a $5 coffee cup for my parents are gone. Not because I can't find a $5 coffee cup to buy for them, but really, I think I allow myself to be caught up in what other people will think about what I am getting them. When did the sentiment "It's not the gift, but the thought that counts" cease to be a part of what we believe about Christmas? When the wise men came to worship Jesus after His birth, they brought with them the most valuable items of the day. But, it wasn't the value of gifts that is an important aspect of the story. It was that they brought was they had and that they gave it all to Jesus. It is the whole idea that we are to gift God with what is most valuable to us--our lives, our decisions, and ourselves. It is, in this case, both the gift and the thought that counts. Next year, I hope to be less concerned about what I am giving, and more concerned with the thought behind it--and the reason for the gift. I will use the time to remind myself of the commitment to God I have made, and the value of the gifts to Him I am giving.