The Best Of Gifts
Friday of the Third Week of Advent
Scriptural Readings: 1 Samuel 1:24-28; 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, Luke 1:46-56
My dear encountered couples:
“Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home.” Wasn’t that a wonderful gift to Elizabeth! Mary gave her time and energy to make it easier for Elizabeth to have her baby, the child who grew up to be the man we call the Baptist.
Could we maybe give something similar to someone on our Christmas list? It might be a little late now, most have finished their Christmas shopping. But maybe for someone not yet bought for, or as a second gift, you might think of giving someone some of your time and energy. You could write on a card that in the future, specify a date if you’d like, you will back them a cake, cook a meal, clean their car, shovel their snow, baby sit or sick person sit so they can have a day out, chauffeur them to the grocery, take them to lunch, maybe a movie, water their plants, look after their pets - there are an endless number of things you might think of that would make wonderful Christmas presents.
Maybe you are doing some of those things already. After all, Christmas and Christianity are for all year round. The gift of a promise of our services might be just the perfect substitute for, or addition to the gifts that often end up shelved or returned.
“Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home.” The gift of her time and energy. What a perfect gift! With love, of course.
