Three Gifts for Christmas
Have you ever found an extra stash of Christmas gifts after Christmas? I’m embarrassed to admit that I have. Nestled in a corner of our bedroom closet was a bag of a couple of items that I had bought for Christmas and then completely forgot about.
A growing tradition in many families takes its prompt from the three gifts that the wise men, or magi gave to the baby Jesus. Here is what the tradition of giving gifts the way that the wise men did, and how it can be very meaningful for your family, too. Larger families will especially appreciate this one!
The wise men gave three gifts to Jesus: one of gold, one of myrrh and one of frankincense. These three gifts are not only meant to honor our children (and spouses), but also to put the focus of Christmas squarely on the shoulders of Christ and the wonderful miracle of the birth of mankind’s savior.
The Gold gift is generally something big or something that your child really wants. For example, my oldest child really wanted a camera this year, my middle one a DVD movie and my youngest a stuffed Bullseye horse. (Well, he really wanted a live horse, but the stuffed one was is second choice.)
The Myrr gift is usually something for the body, such as a new dress or pair of pajamas, or a pretty scented lotion. My youngest needed a set of snow bibs so he could play out in the snow.
The Frankincense should often be a gift related to the child’s spirituality, such as worship music, a new Bible or Christian book, or even money for a retreat or camp.
Doing three gifts is not only meaningful, but it is very practical, too. It keeps the family on budget, and there is less stress to the season of figuring out and purchasing gifts.
Have a blessed Christmas!