THE ULTIMATE GIFT - DAY #12

GIFTS TO JESUS

Day # 12

This is one of my absolute favorite family traditions.  My mom started it years and years ago.  I used to think it was a Kayleen original, but I'm coming to find out that many families also participate in this tradition.

We have Christmas because of Christ.  Christ is Christmas.  Christmas is when we celebrate Christ's birth.  Christmas has been so commercialized in the years past and so much of our time, energy and money is spent on gifts...along with all of the "I wants" that we so often forget that we are celebrating Christ.  We aren't supposed to be celebrating getting a new iPod or camera or the latest toy (although getting and giving these gifts are nice), we are supposed to be celebrating Christ.  Christ is the one who gave us the greatest gift of all.  The gift of eternal life.  The gift to be with our loved ones forever and ever and ever if we are worthy.  Christmas is His day.  His birthday. 

In order to help us remember that Christ is the reason for the season, my parents suggested that each one of us kids write down on a piece of paper something that we will try to improve upon for Christ.  After all it is His birthday and what do we do on birthdays?  We give gifts.  It could be something like obey your parents, read your Scriptures more regularly, not have a hissy fit and punch your sister in the face when she takes your clothes without asking (you know who you are!), do your visiting/home teaching, attend the Temple once a month, or whatever you wanted it to be.  After everyone had written their gifts we would put them in a box and wrap it up (or put them in a decorative Christmas gift bag).  On Christmas Eve the following year we would open up our gifts to Jesus and each individual would evaluate (to themselves not the family) how they had done.  And then we would write a new gift (or depending how well we had done on our gift that year we might just submit the old one again) and wrap it up again as the present years Gift to Christ.

I loved this tradition because it really seemed to bring the Spirit into our home.  I helped me realize the although presents are fun, Christ is the real reason we are celebrating this day.  For the one man who has done so much for me this is just one of the ways I can tell Him, "THANK YOU!!!" 

This is one tradition that Clayton and I will keep going for a long, long time.

  There probably isn't a gift that Christ would want more than to have us try to make ourselves better people so we can live with him again.


MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!
Love Clayton and Heidi