I was taught (after some hurt feelings to some Uncles) that you receive gifts with a gracious heart, even if you don't like it. In fact, unless it didn't fit, we didn't return anything. I have these relatives that lived far away who often sent me clothes that were huge and instead of returning them, we wrote thank you notes, sent pictures as a way to hint our sizes, and went on. If the item was hand made that it was even more important that we showed how much we appreciated the time they spent on the item. It didn't matter that it wasn't our taste, they had obviously spent a lot of time on this and thus we should be gracious. But this wasn't forced gracious - it wasn't fake behavior. What we learned was to be thankful that they thought of us, they the person tried and that the gift giver took time, even if it was shopping, to get something for us.
But that isn't always the case. I know someone who received what they had on their "list" last year for Christmas but it wasn't the color they wanted to the next day they took it back to exchange it. And that has become the norm. When I worked in retail the day after Christmas people returned things for the craziest reasons and not usually because the fit wasn't right. When it comes down to it we have gotten it in our heads that we need to get "what we want" and people have restored to buying each other gift cards so that the recipient can get just what they want. But when did gift giving become all about the actual gift we get and not about the spirit or occasion being celebrated?
And worse...is this "what we want," even down to color and shape, a parallel to our challenging the Christian faith? Is God's amazing gift of grace through the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ not enough for us anymore? Is God's will clashing with our own desires to the point that we are denouncing the faith to be Spiritual or to not believe?
Recently a police officer in good will, gave a man a pair of boots and socks. It was a great moment in which he didn't ask to be recognized. Days later, the news couldn't leave it alone - let it just be a nice moment. Instead they had to track down the man, only to find him not wearing the boots, there are now claims that he wasn't really homeless...we are ruining the graciousness of the action of the police officer because of the humanness of that man. And we are doing that within our own Spiritual journeys as well -
We are ruining the graciousness of God - the true love that God has for us and the true forgiveness of our sins - by allowing the humanness to get in the way. By not accepting God's gift - either because we let the world and sins get in the way, maybe because we ruin the spirit in which the gift is given (freely) because we don't feel we deserve it or maybe because we find so many flaws with in the gift (Christianity) that we can't accept it.
Jesus didn't come down to give each of us what we wanted or to be genie in which wishes are granted. But instead to offer us a relationship with God like done before, a relationship in which grace and forgiveness rule. So this Christmas, let us with open and welcoming arms, let God into our hearts ... and be thankful that although faith and religion isn't as perfect as it could be, it is coming from God and through the Spirit to us with our fate in mind and with love for each of us. Let us spread love, respect, grace and Christ this holiday instead of gifts that fit into selfish desires.
