Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Pre-Black Friday. Early Cyber Monday. Extended Cyber Monday. What used to be single days has turned into weeks, or a month, of special deals.
At this time of the year, we are bombarded with incentives to purchase gifts—the right gifts, the perfect gifts. But have you considered that the best gifts you can give are intangible?
Following are good gifts of the season:
Service
Serving others is a gift for them and for you. When you give your time and talents to aid others, it also benefits you. What can you do in this season of giving to serve others? Perhaps, for you, service involves volunteering at a food pantry or helping a senior citizen with Christmas shopping. Or serving may come in the form of caroling at a care facility. Serving others brings joy.
Compassion
For many, this time of the year is hard. Some are dealing with grief following the death of loved ones. Others face seemingly insurmountable health issues. Still others are juggling caregiving duties with the demands of everyday life. While those around them are merry, they are working hard to overcome discouragement and sadness.
The gift of compassion acknowledges the difficulty of the season and provides a glimmer of hope that forward motion will resume, and burdens will dissipate.
Forgiveness
Some face the holidays with dread because they are forced to encounter family members who are difficult or with whom they harbor an unforgiven grudge. Forgiveness is hard. Forgiving feels like letting someone get away with wrongdoing. But unforgiveness hurts you more than it does the other person.
This year, give the gift of forgiveness and free yourself.
Togetherness
One of the best gifts, any time of year, is togetherness. Your house doesn’t have to be clean and perfect. Togetherness doesn’t require elaborate decorations, elegant food creations, or enormous gifts. Let gatherings be simple and spontaneous. Lead the way in organizing get-togethers and relish the time with family and friends.
Time
It’s easy to allow this season to become overloaded. The more full your calendar the less time you have for yourself and others.
Carve out time for quiet reflection and thankfulness for all God has done for you this year. Ponder the gifts that are true and good. Remember the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, the Savior, and rejoice.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17 NIV).
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is a writer, blogger, speaker, and freelance editor. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotionals published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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