Gifts from the Heart

The last verse of In the Bleak Midwinter echoes a sentiment in The Little Drummer Boy and What Shall We Give?, in fact, it starts with much the same question:

What can I give Him, Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man I would do my part,
Yet what can I give Him, Give my heart

Gift-giving is a part of Christmas that causes some concern for many people, namely because it can be hard to know what to give people. It seems like other people have it so easy. If a person has a special craft or talent, they can give gifts related to that talent. If a person is rich, they can just buy expensive gifts. Yet, expensive gifts aren't always the best gifts. Gifts of one's talents are better because they represent an investment of personal time and effort. But it seems to me that the best gifts are those that come from the heart.

When it comes to giving gifts to God, that's all we can offer Him anyway. No mortal man will ever accrue as much in the way of resources as God has, so we can't buy God the perfect gift, and the shepherd's lamb wouldn't be that great a gift either, since we're passed the days of offering such sacrifices. Yet, there are other sacrifices God wants us to make, and there are other ways we can give good gifts to God and others.

We can make gifts of our time and talents, but ultimately, what we do for others isn't as important as why we do it. That's why I think that the best gifts are those that serve as expressions of love. That was the original idea, wasn't it? The greatest gift ever given was also the purest expression of love. We should follow that example. Whatever gifts we give to God and each other, I hope they come from the heart.