by Justin Morton
It’s that time of year. The decorations are out, the tree is up and the floor beneath the tree is filled with presents, or at least it will be soon. Growing up I vividly remember the excitement that Christmas brought. I could not wait to unwrap all those mysterious presents labeled with my name. Now that I am older, the thrill has moved from unwrapping presents for myself to watching my family and loved ones unwrap the presents I bought for them. I love being able to give presents and see the joy on their faces when they unbox a gift chosen just for them.
Giving presents to those we love is wonderful any time of year. However, what if the gifts that fill the floor around our Christmas tree are not the best present we truly have to offer those we love? Instead of focusing on finding the one present that is going to bring a few moments of satisfaction, what if we look to give the gift of our presence to those we love? This gift will bring more than a few fleeting moments of excitement; it will bring a lifetime of joy and memories.
Many of us are so busy with our careers and activities that we struggle to slow down and give our full attention to those we love. Even during this time of year, we may become focused on shopping, decorations, events and parties, and we miss out on sharing valuable moments with our friends and families. Friends, never forget our time on this earth is very limited. James described our lives as a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away (Jam. 4:14). Some of us have experienced how quickly this life moves as we’ve had people we love pass from this world much sooner than we anticipated. May we always live with the realization that time with our loved ones is precious.
I truly believe this is the most wonderful time of the year. However, do you know what would make this time of year even better? If we focused less on the presents we want to buy and spent more energy on the presence we do have to give. This Christmas give your loved ones the only present they really need: your presence.