We’ve all seen it and have likely done it ourselves at some point in our lives: The kid who opens a Christmas gift, plays with it for about two minutes and never looks at it again. I exaggerate for effect, but not by much. The behavior is not limited to just kids, either. This Christmas, let none of us fall into that disregard for the real gift of Christmas. God became man this day. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 

Most people are familiar with the great short story by O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi, where a young couple who have nothing, sacrifice what is most precious to them in order to purchase a special gift for the other. In the unique O. Henry way, the gifts ended up being unused because the man sold his watch to buy decorative combs for his wife’s knee-length hair, and she had her cut in order to buy the man a fob for his watch. God gave us his only Son…what are we giving?

Perhaps we should re-gift, with a twist. Re-gifting, the practice of giving to someone else a gift that we did not use, can be applied. We have received the gift of love and it is incumbent on us to share it, to live it, to cherish it.

Merry Christmas, everyone.