What is the Greatest Gift?

What is the Greatest Gift?

Ask that question to a five year old child, and the answer would probably be that new toy they saw advertised on television.  Marketing companies know exactly when to have those commercials available for viewing for this particuar audience.

A child of ten might say a phone would be the greatest gift.  A phone gives them instant communication with their friends.  They can text, instant message, send pictures and do other functions I simply don't understand.  It is a mark of their freedom from parents.  They can escape into their own world by simply pushing a few buttons.

That sixteen year old who has an eye on a vehicle would more than likely respond with "wheels."  This makes perfect sense.  That license to drive with the picture on it is worth more than gold.  It is such a precious gift.  For the young person it is further proof of maturity.  For the adults--perhaps not so much!  With that little piece of plastic comes the added worry of a young person behind a wheel.  But, we have all been there.  Maybe that is the reason we are so fearful when our person leaves with the car for the first time.

Being accepted into the college/university of choice could be seen as the greatest gift.  After years and years of school, studying at the school of choice is certainly a wonderful experience.   Four or more years to gain knowledge, grow as a human person, make decisions about life's work.  Those years are the middle years between high school and work.  They provide time to mature.  They broaden our horizons.  They are such an important time in the life of a young person.

After graduation from college, the greatest gift could very easily be a job.  All at once the future is in our face.  We have to make so many new decisions.  Where will we live?  How will we pay the bils?  What do we really want to do?  Money is seen in a new way at this point.  That job gives us freedom, but it comes with a high cost.

And so it goes.  As we grow older, our ideas of the greatest gift shift.  Or maybe we have always known what the greatest gift really is.  Maybe life simply got in the way of our vision.  Somewhere in all of life's passages, we come to see the real truth about the greatest gift.

It isn't cars or bikes or jobs.  It can't be bought.  The only way to claim it is to give it away.  What a paradox.  You know what that greatest gift is, don't you?

Yes, it is love.  It is the knowledge that someone cares for us above all else.  It is the knowledge that no matter what life brings, someone will walk that walk with us.  We are loved unconditionally.  Even with all our warts.  Someone sees the good and beautiful in us.  What a wonderful gift.  It is perfect.

It is possible to withhold love for many reasons.  I would ask you to think about why we withhold our love.  Maybe we want to get even.  Maybe we are scared we won't be loved in return.  Perhaps we are keeping score.  Whatever the reasons we humans use for not loving, the truth is this.  We are the ones who are hurt the most by our refusal to extend ourselves in love.

I know this is a trickly slope.  Love as portrayed in movies and tv is fiction.  We live in the real world where loving is often difficult.  We are hurt by another's actions or words, and we pull away.  We are afraid of that person or situation.  We wrap our emotions in love proof shields.  No one will ever get to us like that again.  You know what?  I completely understand this.  But, the truth is we often go years and years with a heart protected from anything lovely that might happen our way.  That is a great saddness.  A great saddness indeed.

I do know this--I love spending time with each of you!  Whatever your circumstances, it is my sincere hope that love surrounds you.  Each and every day.