The Greatest Christmas Gifts of All

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other”-Burton Hill

Someone once asked me what big gift I was getting my kids for Christmas.  At the time, I had a baby and a four year old who would be happy with a jar of playdoh, because they didn’t know any better.  I shrugged and said ‘Blocks?”  

I almost felt like I was doing something wrong!  

However, since moving from two incomes to one main income, most years, Christmas had to be small because I didn’t want to go into debt over "big gifts."  And, even when we had more money, I kept the gifts small because I didn’t want my kids to expect too much.

This year, we got the kids bikes for Christmas.  Nice ones.  My kids spend a lot of time riding bikes and skateboarding so we figured this would be a gift that would keep giving for years to come.  Plus, my daughter had outgrown her bike.  

In my mind, these are “big gifts.”  But, I’m praying that the best presents this season will not be the bikes.

I’m hoping my children’s best gifts will be memories of decorating sugar cookies, driving around to look at Christmas lights, giving to others, snuggling by the fireplace, and ice skating for the first time.

I’m hoping my kids will have rich memories of singing Christmas songs, cutting out snowflakes,  gathering with loved ones, and learning about God’s greatest gift: Jesus Christ.

And, even though I don’t want presents to be the focus of the Christmas Day, I do enjoy that moment when we gather around our Christmas tree;  the one covered with felt and foam ornaments (because  I have a toddler and two cats, and I don’t want anything to come crashing down).   I love to watch their eyes light up as they open their gifts.  But even more, I love those moments because we are all together without any distractions and all the worldly chaos.

It is these moments where the joy and grace of Christmas rises and overflows.  And any holiday stress that I might have been feeling melts away.  

I’m to the point where I don’t care a whole lot about getting presents...because my greatest gifts are not wrapped up under a tree; they are inside of my heart. 

What are your greatest gifts this holiday season?