One of the annual struggles of the holiday season for us is finding a Christmas gift for our parents. Maybe you have the same problem.  Last night Pam and I sat flipping aimlessly through endless screens of “suggestions” from Amazon.  It’s challenging because my parents and Pam’s dad don’t need anything.  In fact, they’re at the stage where they’re downsizing and giving away… not accumulating.  Every year they say, “Oh, no need for a gift, we don’t need anything. We know you love us.” But that doesn’t seem quite right; they’re so generous with us. I mean, REALLY generous… like help-put-our-kids-through-college generous. We’re not trying to pay them back- that would be impossible. But we do want them to know they’re loved and remembered during the holidays.

Along these lines, this fall my father-in-law swapped his living room love seat for a power-assist reclining chair.  He’s been having some mobility issues recently and thought a new chair would help.  He lives in a beautifully appointed two-bedroom apartment over at Rock Hill Retirement Community in Sellersville.  It’s spacious, but definitely can’t take another piece of furniture.  So, he offered the love seat to us. See, so generous! Ours is pretty worn, so this was perfect. Thanks dad.

So, last Saturday morning, Justin and I borrowed a truck and trekked over to Sellersville.  It was some great father / son time. We loaded up the loveseat and then took Dad Shisler out for breakfast at a local diner he frequents often.  It was a lot of fun.  Dad’s a great storyteller and we had much to catch up on. We laughed and joked as Justin updated grandpop on college life and his winter break work at Shady Maple. And dad talked about some early jobs he had had.  I had a great relationship with my grandfather, so I take particular pleasure in seeing my kids interact with theirs.  Breakfast came and we dug in, with gusto, continuing our conversation.  Our server came with coffee refills and eventually cleared our places as we just lingered spending time together.  The diner emptied out as they prepared for the lunch rush…. It was dad who eventually made the move. “Well, you’ve got a big trip home and plans for the day, and we better get out of here before they throw us out.”  We drove back to Rock Hill and Justin, and I took off for home.

As we drove, I said to Justin, “You know, the only real gift we can give Grandpop is our time.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” he agreed. We were glad we went.

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I woke up this morning, 5 days after that conversation. As I often do, I said good morning to God and was just about to jump out of bed when this thought hit, “The only real gift I can give God is my time.”

It’s true. God needs nothing. He’s completely self-existent and self-sufficient.  What can you possibly give to One who has unlimited resources and is timeless.

⁹I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
¹⁰ for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields are mine.
¹² If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Psalm 50:9-12

I think that’s what makes Christmas so amazing.  The eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient God voluntarily took on all the limitations of humanity.  And Jesus, God in the flesh, the Creator of the Universe cried to let Mary know he was hungry.

It’s almost Christmas- a time for last minute shopping.  What do you get Someone who has need of nothing?  The only gift you can give is your time.

Pause and spend time reading his word. Quiet yourself and listen for his voice. Make conversation with him as you go throughout your day. Give Jesus some quality time.

So, this Christmas, maybe the best gift you can give to that hard to buy for person is your presence- a lunch date, a day out together or even a weekly phone call.  They’d probably like that far more than another Christmas sweater or goodie bag of snacks.

And for Jesus, our Savior who came to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) The only true gift we can give is our time.

In the Bleak Midwinter

…What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a Shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

Merry Christmas!