I Need to Be a Better Giver

Ideally, Christmas should last all year, right? Celebrating the Savior and loving our neighbor and all that. But, of course, the part about giving presents is not something most of us can afford to do all year around. We would all be broke. But it can be great fun once a year. I wore myself out shopping at TJ Maxx for over an hour late this afternoon, overwhelmed with all the attractive things they had to choose from. And me, with my obsession with wanting to get rid of things, I naturally think of things that don't leave a lot of material consideration in the end, and by that I mean candy. Boy, did they have a lovely selection of candy. Today I was doing all my shopping for people at work and friends, which only amounts to 16 people, altogether. I had a list of 20 people to send Christmas cards to, which is kind of a record for me, as I have not been sending Christmas cards but to less than half a dozen people, and those only the ones who had sent me a card first. I just didn't want to sit down and write cards, but this year, I decided to do it. Now I'm too tired for the wrapping. There's really no rush, I have until Friday to get the presents to the people at work, and I have until tomorrow evening to wrap about four presents for the small number of people I'll see tomorrow night. But it makes me anxious to have so much to do, afraid I won't get it done if I don't attack it now. I used to love wrapping presents and being creative with it. We even used to make our own bows once upon a time before they were mass-produced in huge bags, made in China and cheap as can be, like a dollar for, I don't know, 50 or more. I guess humans have always struggled with money to some degree, at least people in my socio-economic caste, if you will. I don't think anyone in my family has ever been rich. My grandparents and parents experienced the Great Depression, and I have worked all my life, middle class, I guess we call it here in the U.S., even though most of us are richer than people in many places in the world. I want to be a better giver. As it is, I really love picking out things to give people for Christmas and on their birthday. I don't spend a lot, because I don't figure I have a lot to spend. but the truth is I always have enough. I just don't need a lot of things and God has provided everything I need. I have spent more on presents for work friends than in the past because I feel less anxious about giving than I did a year ago. That is a work of God in my soul. His word says it is more blessed to give than to receive, and I believe that more and more as the years go by. Being a little more generous as years go by doesn't mean I am not frugal, maybe even a cheapskate. I think I still have a lot of growing to do in the area of giving. For one thing my lifestyle is different from everybody else's. I don't have curtains on my windows, I don't have a skirt around my bed. I am not a designer, I don't buy a lot of things to decorate my apartment. It's just me. So, when it comes to Christmas presents for these guys, it's all about candy. Chocolate candy, mostly. Chocolate candy does not leave things around that you have to find homes for. You just open up the box, eat the chocolate and throw away the box. Even if you give or receive hot chocolate and mugs, if you don't like the mug you can always give it to the thrift store. That's the way my corrupt mind computes these days. I know I'm rambling now, and I need to see if I have any strength left to wrap some of those presents and put bows and labels on them. My feet are still vibrating. I really need to be done with those gifts, but I am not sure how much of that I'm going to get done tonight. I have to decide how much to do and just try to do that. I hope you are having more fun than stress during this holiday season. A lady looked real upset with me at TJ Maxx tonight because we were passing each other, each with a cart in a narrow aisle. As soon as I saw her, I moved my cart out of her way, at which time I saw a big scowl on her face, so I told her "Merry Christmas" as she passed me by. I don't know if she appreciated that or not. Sorry, not sorry, I am going to go now. Goodnight. P.S. It was also my best friend from when we were in third grade’s birthday today. How many of you have a best friend from since you were in third grade?