Tuesday, December 21

We hear a lot about wise men this time of year. After the birth of Jesus, the Child received a visit by some magi or wise men. We aren’t told how many of them there were, but we do know they brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. While I have never received gifts like this (and may not be impressed by them in the 21st Century), they were notable enough to be recorded in the Bible.

While the gifts that these men brought get a lot of attention, the most important part of their visit was the fact that they traveled all that way to see Jesus. When they came “from the east” to seek out Jesus their presence transcended their presents. The impressive part of this whole process is summed up by Matthew, “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him.” (Matthew 2:11).

As I thought about this historical (and spiritual) account, I got to thinking about what it teaches us about parenting. This time of year, it is easy to focus on what we are going to get our children for Christmas – searching out that special gift that they will always remember (or at least until the batteries run out). Yet, what if we focused on our presence rather than our presents. Rather than hustling around town to find the latest gadget, what if we focus on making memories with them. Instead of spending a lot of money to impress them, what if we invested a lot of time to inspire them?
The holiday season can be a wonderful time of year. When we, as parents, invest our time as well as our treasures in making it special, it can become even better – for our children and for ourselves.

Think About It!

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