It’s that time of year when shoppers are in a mad dash to purchase last-minute presents for friends and loved ones. If you’re one of those folks, you’ll doubtless find that stores are sold out of certain items.
If a Hot Wheels RC Barbie Corvette is at the top of your list, you may find you’ve waited too late. It’s one of this year’s hottest toys and stores are selling out fast! Your little one may have to settle for a Squishmallows Harry Potter 10” Gryffindor Lion Plush Toy or an Elmo that sings and dances to the “Elmo slide”.
Of course, that’s if you can find them.
If your gift is for someone at the office or someone in your family — maybe a distant cousin or your Uncle Bob who’s “hit” or “miss” when it comes to showing up for family gatherings — you might be thinking about regifting.
I know, I know. We all act like we don’t do it, but each year there are a whole lot of gifts that get re-packaged, re-wrapped and then re-gifted.
Sometimes it involves a gift we received last Christmas that we didn’t like.
Sometimes it involves a gift we received that was a duplicate of something we already had.
Sometimes it’s just convenient.
But there are things I would advise you NOT to regift.
Like what, you say?
Well, pets for starters. That’s hard on the kids.
And fruit cake. [Seriously, we just need to stop passing that thing around.]
Monogrammed towels.
Handmade items…that you didn’t make.
Peeps left over from Easter.
If you want to give a gift to your friends and loved ones this Christmas that matters, one that will be appreciated, I wouldn’t give any of those things.
These are the gifts I would give.
TIME
There is no more precious gift than time. It’s precious because we only have so much of it.
In Ephesians 5:16, the Apostle Paul tells us to “redeem the time” and what he means is that we are to make the most of it. Life is short. Those little ones grow up and are gone before you know it. That friend or loved one you’ve been meaning to call or get together with might not be here tomorrow.
You want to give a gift that is meaningful, one that will appreciated for years to come? Don’t recycle one of last year’s gifts! Give them your time.
LOVE
Love is amazing in that it is one of the few things we have that we will never run out of it. There more love you give to others, the more love you find you have to give.
When God have His Son to come to this earth and live and die for us, it was a gift of love.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)
One day this earth and everything in it will be burned up with fire (2 Peter 3:10). The only thing that will survive from our time here and pass with us into eternity is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Which makes love an eternal gift!
JESUS
There is simply no greater gift that we can give to another than to help them establish a relationship with God and His Son, Jesus.
If you help someone come to know Christ this Christmas that would technically be a re-gift. Because at some point someone gave you the gift of faith, and now you are sharing it with someone else.
But what a gift!
When compared to fruitcake, monogrammed towels, and unused white elephant gifts, I’d say it is the best regift ever!