Its Christmas time and holiday season, and a lot of time we can get lost in the holiday hustle and bustle of life, presents, travel, family so on and so on… and it is easy to take our eyes, hearts and minds off the reason for the season, the birth of a little baby who was sent from heaven above to redeem us from this crazy world.
Who knew that this little baby, born in a manger born to a carpenter, Joseph and his wife Mary on a cold winter night would be the reason for a celebration of life, family and love some 1000s and 1000s of years later?
Mary and Joseph knew, as did the three wise men that traveled far and long with an angel guiding them, to bring gifts to this little King of Men and Prince of Peace.
Let’s take a second and look at the wise men… there is something important there that a lot of people know of but tend to forget.
The gifts.
The wise men brought gifts of meaning, Frankincense, a resin from balsam trees, which was Incense used in prayer, Myrrh- another resin used as incense in prayer. Both Frankincense and Myrrh take time in collection of the sap from the trees (up to two weeks for beads of sap), and were valued, special gifts. Gold, we know the value of Gold, as gold is one of those things that never seem to change. It’s been used for thousands of years as currency to trade
with. Kings valued it, men and women now collect it… it has worth.
So the gifts brought to baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph were thought out well in advance- considering camel travel time (compared to our modern airplane travel) and planned to give prayer and honor to the new baby king. They had meaning, a purpose, a reason. They weren’t just bought to have… to give to fill a stocking or make a tree look full, or to make a child happy because it’s the newest and hottest gift.
Parents were’t fighting one another for “things,” because things are not what the season is about, and it isn’t why God brought Jesus into the world for.
What can we do? We can change ourselves and the world. Get back to putting thought and meaning into the gifts we give. And teach one another that it’s not about the things, it’s about the reason, belief and feeling we get when we give a meaningful gift; It’s also about the feeling we get, knowing that when we are blessed to receive a gift- that it had meaning and thought put into it.
The Magi (Wise men) put thought into their gifts to the Newborn King, God thought about the gift he gave Mary and Joseph and He also thought about the gift He gave to you… the birth of a savior.
Even if you’re not Christian or don’t practice a religion, you can still learn from the story- that it’s the thought that goes into it that counts.
So this Holiday Season and Christmas, think about blessing others with gifts of thought, and also be mindful about those who are less fortunate and how a small thoughtful gift would mean the world to them. Remember the reason for the gift giving season, and the gift that was given to you thought the birth and death of Jesus… salvation.
Many blessings to you and yours this holiday season and Christmas, from all of us here at ChargingLife.com!
Peace be upon you,
Reverend Dino
