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One word. Five minutes to write about it. This is the idea behind Five Minute Friday and this is today's free-writing post.
my presence is my present
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My family has been asking for and sharing our wish lists so we can get gifts for Christmas (and the birthdays that follow right after Christmas - mine is one of them. *ahem*). I really appreciate having a wish list to start from when I am Christmas shopping. I need ideas. I want to be generous and give gifts - in fact, I love gift-giving, but my primary love language is NOT gifts. Not even close. When I take one of those love language surveys, I often score ZERO on gifts as a love language.
For someone who does not express or experience love through gifts, is it strange that I would want to put a priority on picking out gifts for those I love? Not necessarily. Let me explain.
My love language is quality time. Spending time with the people I love, doing things together with them - that is how I feel loved and how I naturally show my affection. So my favorite thing about Christmas is the time we're together doing all the festive things, gathering around the table, and gathering around the tree to open gifts. I don't really need to open any gifts to feel loved, because the presence of my family and the fact that they want to be there with me - that's their present to me, whether they realize it or not. When there's a gift for me to open, to me it reflects that the giver spent time thinking about what I would enjoy and spent time acquiring it and wrapping it.
That's also how I think about giving gifts. Because I love the people on my Christmas list, I want to spend time figuring out what they would like (I study the wish lists!). Then I spend my time to acquire the gifts. That's a sacrifice sometimes, because I do not like shopping! I really don't. But there's something special about spending my time hunting down the perfect thing for that person I love, and it's a bonus if I can do my shopping with someone else that I love. Because that's also a gift. My present is my presence with my shopping buddy, and my presence and involvement and time in picking out a gift and wrapping it. And if I'm really lucky, I'll be present when the present is opened too.
Even if your love language is not quality time, your presence with people you care about is still one of the best presents you can give them. Your presence as you give them a gift if your language is gifts, your presence as you give them a hug if your language is physical touch, your presence as you share meaningful and positive conversation if your language is words of affirmation, and your presence as you do something helpful if your language is acts of service.
We can't always give physical presents, and we can't always be present in the same room with people we care about, but we give such a valuable gift when we are truly present with our loved ones by giving them our attention and priority when we are in the same room, when we're on the phone or messaging with them, when we are writing a letter or doing something for them.
Just think - when Jesus came to earth, he brought us the gift of salvation, but he came as Emmanuel. God with us. He came to be with us, to give us the gift of his presence, and to restore fellowship with us. When he ascended to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit. The gift is his holy Presence with us always.
His presence is his present to us.
"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). ~Matthew 1:21-23
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." ~John 14:3
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." ~Acts 2:38
And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. ~Romans 5:5
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5 comments:
I accidentally saw that my husband bought me a tap light for Christmas this year. I'm guessing it cost about $10, but it is a great gift because it means he heard me. I had recently told him that it bothered me that the closet that holds my books has not light. He can't run electrical in there, but he took the time to solve my problem. THAT is love.
Amie, FMF #13
Thanks for this reminder of the best present of all. Your neighbour #22 on fiveminutefriday.
that gift of time and presence eh? Can't beat that just being together eh?
I knew the gift for my dear wife
should not be a trifle,
but something that could save her life,
a badass tricked-out rifle
with tac sights, yeah, top of the line,
and stock with raised cheek-rest,
I knew I did not waste my time,
for Barb deserves the best.
Titanium bolt-carrier-group,
and a Flaming Pig device,
a good slip-free sling-loop;
man, this piece is nice!
She said, "Well, thank you, dear sweet man,
but I wanted a new frying pan..."
A Flaming Pig is a muzzle brake/flash hider that makes a tactical rifle a LOT easier on the shooter's eyes and ears.
I can relate to your post so well. I don't love shopping, either, but want to spend the time to find something that will please the recipient. Thanks for a good post that I enjoyed.
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