Thoughts about Christmas Giving

Reflections on Gifting

Those that know me well could attest: I love gift-giving. That may sound like a passive way to say that I like to receive gifts – and this is true, I won’t deny it. But really, I truly LOVE to pick out special gifts, big or small for others – and whether it is reciprocated or not isn’t part of the joy I receive from the giving. I’m known for being so eager to see the reaction that I cannot wait until the designated holiday or event.

So when Christmas rolls around and EVERYONE is thinking and talking about giving gifts and marketing strategies inundate us, I begin to feel uncomfortable. Why? I’ve been thinking about this especially this year and I’ve realized it’s for a few reasons:
1. I hate to feel like I’m just following the crowd to do what is expected
2. I feel like the commercialism around Christmas gifting has robbed me of something precious

So, this season I was challenged to be truly thoughtful about the meaning of Christmas gifting and to consider how I might reclaim this in a way that is a more true celebration of the gift of Jesus, and not a glorification of materialism. To further prompt me in this reflection, our church services during Advent at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church were around the concepts of Advent Conspiracy, which is all about rethinking how we approach Christmas and especially gifting, with emphasis on these concepts:

1. Worshipping Fully
2. Giving More
3. Spending Less
4. Loving All

I’ll let you read details in the link above if you want to learn more, but in this blog I want to share just a few thoughts about how I’ve practiced these this gift-giving season. In subsequent blogs, I’ll share some more details about some specific gifts given and received, and some lessons learned in the process – but not all gifts have been given yet and I don’t want to spoil any surprises!

1. This year, my Christmas shopping experiences have been an opportunity to celebrate creativity and beauty. Since launching Charis Notes and Gifts as a business in July I have been privileged to spend a great deal of time in the "handmade" scene. Now, I know it’s super trendy and cool to buy handmade and local right now. And I’ll admit – I like being super trendy and cool. But as I have spent time at events as a maker and have connected with other artists and crafters in person and via social media networking, I have discovered other reasons to be committed to buying handmade. You do truly appreciate another’s work when you walk in their shoes a bit!

2. My launch of a business was for several reasons. The first, of course, was because I like making things. The opportunities to custom create gifts and cards so that my customers can give a special and meaningful gift is such a blessing! I am pleased to think of how many people across the country might be receiving something I made this holiday season!

3. A second reason was to contribute to our families’ financial needs, especially for things that are “nice-to-have but not essential.”  I kept hearing things about considering handmade gifts as a money saver but, in the spirit of being thoughtful and thinking of what others might really like, I felt that I could only give card sets or wall art out to my family so many times before it becomes lame and self-promoting. Instead, I took another approach and used the profit I’ve made by selling my own handmade items to purchase the gifts I am giving from other makers.   At least ¾ of the gifts I purchased this year were handmade, and most of them by local artists. An added benefit to this was that I have spent very little time in traditional retail settings, which has been a significant saver of time, energy and stress for me!

4. Part of the local handmade scene is a large emphasis on creative reuse – recycling, upcyling, using vintage products. It’s been a lot of fun to see the creative things people can do with stuff that might be wasted or thrown away! A number of times I have happened upon something that reminds me of a childhood memory, or a family member that is no longer with us. You can’t find that in a department store!! I have really grown to have a deep appreciation for thinking about the potential beauty in things that might be discarded (there is a spiritual parallel here); and to really treasure the things from the past, many of which have a story to tell.

5. If you’re familiar with the book “The 5 Love Languages”, it will be no surprise to you that my top “language” is giving and receiving gifts. A close second is quality time. So in an effort to rethink gifts that just add more “stuff,” I gave pause to think about whether a gift item would be truly used, appreciated, or valued. Is there a gift I could give that is more about time together and less about “stuff”?

6. I also acted in a few small ways to be prudent with my own time and energy level at the holidays. I’ll admit, it’s been busy juggling my Charis orders with my holiday preparations and other commitments. But in small ways I’ve made choices, like purchasing cookies from a small local business to free up a little of my own time to spend with my family.  This is a first for me, as in the past I've tried to do it all. 

7. The one thing emphasized in Advent Conspiracy that I cannot say I acted on sufficiently is sacrificial giving to those in need.   Tt is probably safe to say that my giving in general is not proportional to amount of need I could meet. I think that a part of me was a little resistant to giving to others as an alternate use of resources that would have been spent on gifts for others. In thinking more about why that bothers me, I think it’s because I know that if I am honest about my resources, there is more than enough for me to give to my friends and family a small token of love and appreciation (especially if done with the above principles guiding) and still find enough to give to someone who is truly in need. I feel that in my situation, the sacrifice should be in some other choice rather than less giving to others. So, my response to this is to spend the last few days of 2012 to think and pray about how a lifestyle change in 2013 could simplify my life and free up resources to give to others – all year long.

Merry Christmas everyone!