I was talking with my boys the other day about Christmas. The Media is trying to make it all about the "gift-giving". "You need to buy this, and this and this to make your friends and family happy." It is all about the bling-bling.
Scrooge is not what I am shooting for in this entry. However, I have been thinking of the true meaning of Christmas. We have the opportunity to celebrate the gift of a loving Heavenly Father this time of year. He sent his Beloved Son to us, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. He came to us humbly.
Trying to explain the true meaning of Christmas to a three year old is a bit tricky. I was taking her Christmas shopping and she wondered why she had to but gifts for everyone else, and not herself. I tried to explain that giving gifts to others is our gift to the Savior. It is a way we can remember His gift to us.
From the gifts of the Savior's birth come the gift to repent and be forgiven when we deviate from our intended direction. We receive the gift of being able to return to a Father who loves and adores us. I am so thankful for the Savior and the blessings I have in my life through His teachings and example. I hope I can teach my children the true meaning of Christmas and not get caught up in the halla baloo of "gift giving". Remembering the love of our Savior, our older brother, is the meaning of this holiday. It is a time of thanks and gratitude.
Now, I do believe the giving of gifts can be a way of showing our thanks or gratitude. Also it can be an opportunity to teach our children to serve. As the Savior taught us through his service to those he encountered, we too have opportunities. This doesn't mean we need to go into unnecessary debt to show our love. Simple acts of service and love are greater than gifts purchased at the store. This year and the one to come I am going to look for opportunities to serve others, and show them love. This is what the Savior did for us.
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