Giving Good Gifts - Part Two

Nothing fills the heart with Christmas cheer like giving gifts to those who would have nothing if not for the generosity of others.

2MefromHim Devotional

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11

I remember the look on the children’s faces, thrilled more by a new coat than a doll, excited by the food in the box more than the presents in brightly colored Christmas wrap. Our youth group was delivering gifts to needy families, but I had never known real need.

My friends and I crowded into the seat of my father’s pick-up, filled with boxes of gifts, food, clothing, toys, candy, all the things associated with Christmas. I had never been to the part of town where we went that day, but I remember the expressions on the faces of the people we visited.

What I saw on that cold, windy Saturday in December has remained with me through the years. I saw the face of real need, the expressions of delight over necessities rather than frivolities, the embarrassed thankfulness of those who must rely on the charity of others.

My father greeted each family with genuine respect, allowing them dignity in receiving what we offered. He accepted their thanks graciously, but without being condescending. He played with the children and left everyone with a smile. I’m not much of a shopper, but I love to shop for those I don’t know, for those who would have nothing for their children were it not for the kindness and generosity of strangers. I love filling a shopping cart with things that will put a smile on the face of a child, and along with it, give them the message of the best and greatest gift ever given—the gift of the Christ Child.

The hallmark of our giving should not be to outdo everyone else, but to give in an attitude of humility, recognizing God as the giver of every gift, including our ability to give to others.Our greatest Christmas blessings should come in showing kindness to strangers and sharing His love with those in need. God doesn’t need anything from us, but we are dependent on Him for everything. There is no greater gift to our fellow man than gifts which point not to ourselves, but to God as the giver of every good and perfect gift—life, both physical and eternal.

We trust our needs to God, He will enable us to be His hands in a hurting world.

About the author:

Norma Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies for 20 years. Her devotionals and poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us, the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, Romance Writers of America, and the New Mexico Christian Novelists. Norma is a former RN who lives in the mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 39 years. They have two adult children.