The Christmas season may not seem like a time to start looking for personal giftings, but I discovered something new over the weekend.
To be honest, it isn’t a spiritual gift. I had hoped it was just a fluke. My wife’s inability, though, means it is something special. What could be so special? You’ll never guess.
Have you ever walked through the stores at Christmas and end up buying a new artificial Christmas tree? With the pre-lit and LED varieties coming down in price, it may be more likely. After all, you pay one price for ten or more years of easy up, easy down Christmas delight. But then you open the box for the first time, put the tree together, and wonder why it looks so…flat.
My newly discovered gift is the ability to fluff an artificial Christmas tree or garland. It’s silly, I know. But it is unique.
It may sound strange, but there are a few gifts that can come out Christmas time. Not shiny, wrapped and bowed gifts, or boring (but useful) gifts like my tree fluffing ability. These are real, true, spiritual Gifts. What could they be?
Gifts like helping others (Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 12:28). At Christmastime we talk more about helping others than any other time of the year. We are offered chances to help the poor, the present-less, the sick, and the lonely. You can shovel someone’s driveway or put together a holiday box for the local food bank.
Along the same line is the gift of giving (Romans 12:8). Besides the obvious type of giving the season is known for, you might be led to help by giving your time, your talents or your resources. You might wait all year for the telethon that raises money for the children’s hospital. Maybe you like to help the Salvation Army raise money by watching over a kettle at the local mall and rejoice when you see the fruits of your time spent.
You may also consider hospitality to be a gift (Romans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9). This gift is easily understood at this time of year. Do you enjoy preparing your home for the enjoyment of others simply to be a blessing? It may take you all week to prepare and a day to recover, but you enjoy it all.
Even during the Christmas season we should have our eyes and hearts open to what we are doing. You may have a gift that blooms this time each year, but you consider it another part of the season, being in the spirit of things. It is possible that what you enjoy , not something spiritual or applicable to how you live all year long.
Talk Back
[Q:] Is there some part of the Christmas season that energizes and excites you? Is there a place of service where you can take that enthusiasm and put it to use all year long?
Chris MacKinnon 