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There is Joy in Giving

By Consuelo (Chit) E. Munar

The Yuletide season, Christmas and New Year has come and gone. The Christmas lights and decorations are already kept and shelved;the greeting cards gathered in a tin; travelers for the holiday are safely home.

Before Christmas Day, many among us began a month-long dash to find the right gift for everyone in our list. The word “gift” consumed most of us for a month. Preparing for Christmas can be a lot of work that at times we got little time to actually enjoy the meaning of Christmas.

Who in the world started gift-giving? Many people think that gift giving at Christmas was started by the three Wise Men when they brought gifts to baby Jesus. The entire reason for Christmas is the love of God. It was God who gave the first Christmas gift.

On the first Christmas, God gave the greatest gift of all – he gave his Son. He gave his only beloved Son to die on the cross so all people have their past forgiven, a purpose of living and a hope and promise to have a home in heaven. Jesus is the original Christmas gift.

We only give because God gave to us first.

The spirit of Christmas is about love and generosity. If it weren’t for God’s generosity, we have nothing. The air we breathe, the valleys, the mountains, the seas, the flowers, the teeming fishes in the ocean are all God’s creations, gifts and symbols of his generosity. Every good thing in our lives – including our lives, is a gift of God’s generosity.

What did we do this past Christmas to better demonstrate the true spirit of Christmas?

This is my personal account: On November 14, our alumni group (UPAAA) commenced our caroling activities. Originally planned to seek raise funds for our scholarship program, we went from house to house of very willing alumni hosts to sing carols joyously. One caroling night was different. We went to visit and sing carols to one colleague of ours who was confined in a hospice. We sung our hearts out to bring joy and cheer to him. We, also, prayed for him that God will grant him the grace and comfort in his confinement. We left him in peace; he bid us good-night with a radiant smile. Within all of us is sheer joy.

The day before Christmas, I got up early to prepare the turkey for roasting, cooked the paella (Arroz de Valenciana) and made jars of pickled gourds. Before the end of the day, I packed food and delivered to two eighty-year old widows living together whom I befriended for the past couple of years. They always enjoy my company as much as I enjoy theirs particularly when they share their wisdom with me while I give them a lift to wherever they want to go – to their prayer meetings, to the mall or to their senior fellowship activity. Time spent for the two elderly is truly a great pleasure. I feel like I’m bringing joy and happiness to my own grandmother who raised me up. She must be very pleased with me looking down from heaven.

Time is one of the greatest gifts a person can give to someone because when one gives time, he/she is giving a portion of his/her life that he/she will never get back.

“Calendars are meant to remind us of time…it’s preciousness and significance in our lives. For time once spent cannot be renewed or bought back. As such.. time must be used wisely, managed effectively and harnessed productively to leave a lasting legacy.”

This new year let us use our time to make a difference in other people’s lives. Let’s have a kinder and caring new year 2016.

There is Joy in Giving

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