Gifts

What do you give to people nowadays?  Does anyone have a hard time figure out what to give as a birthday gift?  I feel as if most of us have way too much stuff anyway.  Or what in the world do you give to someone who has been on this planet for 90 years?  Maybe it is just me.  I seem to have a hard time coming up with gift ideas.  I desire to give gifts that are meaningful and useful.  I roam around the store trying to see if anything will just come out and hit me up side the head.  I then usually walk out feeling disappointed because I really didn't find that meaningful or useful gift I was hoping for and I probably opted for a card.  Sigh.  Don't get me wrong, cards are nice and some have beautiful words.  But they are someone else's words.  Not mine.  I suppose I could come up with my own card with my own words.  Hmmm that just might be an idea.  But again, where is that one gift that would make the gift receiver really excited?  I guess I remember my mom being able to come up with the coolest gifts.  She could remember something you said months ago about a certain item you would like to have and then find it or something similar.  She didn't need to write it down either.  I wish I had that talent.

Today I was able to go to a double birthday party.  My nephew had turned the big ONE and my husbands Grandpa, (who I also affectionately call Grandpa) will soon turn the big NINETY.  Yes 90.  Whoa!  So we celebrated both birthdays today.  We all had a good chuckle when my nephew took several fist fulls of chocolate icing and tried to stuff it in his mouth.  The best part was that he missed his mouth most of the time and left big chocolate streaks across his face.  But mostly, I am fascinated by the stories Grandpa has to share.  The eras that he lived through.  It is truly amazing.  I could sit and listen for hours.

You know, Jesus received birthday gifts.  I wonder how long it took the Wisemen to come up with what kind of gift they would give to the Son of God?  Hopefully not as long as it takes me to find gifts.  :-)   And followers of Christ offered gifts of sacrifice.  So it seems we have been trying to give gifts from day one.  But the gift of time and relationship maybe the best gift of all.  That's what Jesus wants.  He wants a relationship with each one of us.  So sitting and listening to my Grandpa speak was probably the best gift I could give him and he could give me.