The Gift

“A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.”

                                    Thomas a` Kempis  "The Imitation of Christ"

Now THAT is deep. 

One of my favorite Christmas stories is O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi”.  You know the one where the poor husband sells his watch to surprise his wife with new combs for her hair only to find that she has sold her hair to buy a new chain for his watch.  Some would see this story as tragic.  Looking only at the gifts and the obvious waste of good money in a poor household on items that were no longer usable would lead some to say “what a tragic turn of events.”  However, O. Henry did not intend this beautiful story to be tragic, but rather, an artistic expression of true love in its purest form.  The message is crystal clear; true love means sacrifice.  Every gift represents what we are willing to do without in order that someone else may be blessed. The characters in this story stand as a stark example of the truth extrapolated by Thomas a` Kempis as he studied the life of Jesus Christ in the early Fifteenth Century.  “A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.”

Christmas is a time when we are reminded not so much of the gift of the lover, but rather the love of the giver.

    “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son…”   John 3:16
 
    “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this, while we were still Christ died  for us.”                             Romans: 5:8

     “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.”  John 15:13

Do you see the theme in these verses?  God’s love is the motivation behind His great gift to us.  Following the example of Jesus Christ, we learn that giving is an expression of our love and the love is more significant than the gift.  The size, shape or cost of the gift might adequately represent the love of the giver, but most often, the gift is only a token expression of the love we share. 

 

It is sad that in our culture today the emphasis is placed on the size (and cost) of the gift rather than on the love of the giver.  I don’t know about you, but when I sit down and count the blessings of my life, those gifts that are truly significant and life changing are the ones that cannot be wrapped and placed under the tree.   I get way down the list before any “thing” shows up.  My most special gifts of life hold little if any monetary value: the love of God, family, friends, health, peace, etc.,  are all things that make my life full and truly worth living.  In other words, my most cherished “gifts” are those that remind me of the love of the giver.  God’s love; especially as it is expressed through the words and actions of those people He has put in my life. People like you.

So, this Christmas, take some advice from an old guy.  No, not me…, Thomas a` Kempis.  Try to look past the gift of the lover and see the love of the giver.  Accept it.  Enjoy it.  Celebrate it.  Before you know it, you’ll be having a Merry Christmas.   Thanks for reading.