Instant Gratification

Recently, a friend lamented to me that shopping for people was difficult because knowing what to get was practically impossible. I heard her out and tried to be supportive in the moment by offering suggestions for the people for whom she mentioned needing gifts. As the day went on, I began to ponder why shopping for others can be so difficult, because the truth is, I tend to agree. When my pondering was complete, my conclusion was, ‘no one is in need or want of anything’.

I remember when I was a kid, it did not seem as though things were as readily available to people as they are today. It used to be that if someone needed or wanted something that they saved up and earned it before they bought it. These days however it seems that if people want or need something, they just go buy it…whether they can afford it or not. Yes, the days of waiting and putting needed and wanted items on a Christmas or birthday list seem to be a thing of the slower, treasured past.
As I continued pondering, I thought about the gifts the Magi gave to Jesus; they were gifts with deep meaning. Gold to represent kingship on earth. Jesus, The King, left heaven and came to earth to make it possible for anyone to be able to go to Heaven. Frankincense to represent deity. Even though Jesus came as a human, He was still divine; God on Earth. Myrrh to represent death. Did the Magi understand what would happen to Jesus 30-some years later? I don’t know, but they certainly had to think that gift through, because really, who gives “death oil” to a child?
So, when I considered that the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas tyme and for birthdays stems from the Magi bringing gifts to Jesus, I couldn’t help but think that sometimes we just want to give a gift to make someone “feel happy”, but we don’t really know enough about the person to give a meaningful gift. It would seem then that the real gift we could give is the gift of our tyme and conversation in order to get to know the person.
Now, I’m sure we are not as callus as I might be making us to seem, but I am trying to illustrate that a fast-paced life with any and everything we want and need at our fingertips can really make the holiday season difficult. While I’m sure that Instant Gratification has its place and isn’t all bad, I do think it tends to make us less appreciative of what we have and what we receive. I think when we have that “well, I can just buy more” mentality, our ability to be grateful deteriorates and makes it harder for others to bless us with meaningful and helpful gifts and for us to do likewise. I mean, I don’t know about you, but there is something about thinking of someone I love and coming up with a gift that I know he or she will truly enjoy that makes me truly happy.
So, if the “Holiday Buying Season” is bringing you down, stressing you out, making you feel like you don’t have enough to give or causing you any type of angst, I challenge you to slow down and reevaluate. Make a phone call. Have a conversation. Learn something new about the person you’re having trouble shopping for and go from there. Remember what’s really important and don’t let your giving rob you of the joy of The Gift God gave to all of us.
You are enough for those who love you and the gift of your presence (in person or remotely) is worth far more than any presents you could ever give.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Drawing Conclusions

Image
I didn't know how mentally and emotionally messed up I really was until I started working at my current job. It was 2018 and I had been searching for a job for a long tyme; that in itself can mess a person up emotionally and mentally, but that is a story for another day. Then at the end of January, I saw an ad for a job that seemed perfect for me. Of course, God had said no to every other job that seemed perfect for me, so, honestly, I had very little hope that this job would pan out either. I interviewed on a Monday and then heard nothing. Finally, on the following Friday I got the call that they wanted to hire me. Shock. I started the following Tuesday and the next week, I found myself hiding under my desk. The owner of the company was screaming at and threatening people at a volume and degree that you cannot imagine. I however didn't have to imagine it. I had already lived it for my entire childhood and the first few years of my adult life. The owner of the company was exact...
Read more

Get in the Boat

Image
Recently, a local pastor preached on the account in Matthew chapter 8 when the disciples were sailing across the sea and a violent storm arose. The pastor then posed an interesting question. If you knew everything that you would face by following Jesus, would you get in the boat? If you knew you would face the storm, would you get in the boat? If you knew you would be ridiculed, face hardships, danger, uncertainty, and the like, would you get in the boat? I’ve been thinking a lot about the question posed to me in that sermon. The truth of the matter is, we humans like to have answers. We like to have knowledge. We like to have control of the situation...or at least think we do. There is just something comforting about being “in the know” … or is there? Adam and Eve knew a lot, but the knowledge that their Creator gave them everything they needed, just was wasn’t enough. They had to know more...they had to know what it would be like to do the one thing ... the ONE THING … God told them ...
Read more

Warning Signs

Image
     The other morning while traveling to a friend’s house, a driver heading toward me flashed his lights at two different tymes. Once when he was far back, and then again when he was getting ready to pass me. We were on a country road, complete with winding curves and rolling hills or “whoa bumps” as I named them for my niece and nephews. You know, it’s that type of little hill that, when you go over it at just the right speed, makes your stomach leap up to your throat and you cannot help but let out an audible “WHOA.”      At the driver’s first, distant signal, I immediately thought to check my speed. You see, around these parts, flashing lights often indicate that there is a police officer ahead who, if you don’t, is ready to check your speed for you. While I was confident that I was not speeding, I glanced down at the speedometer just to reassure myself. As it turned out, I was going about ten miles under the speed limit and quickly let go of that fea...
Read more