What are your giving your kids?

Christmas is days away.  I haven't shopped yet.  I've been asking God for direction instead.  There isn't a lot of money to shop this year.  With my funds limited, I want to make sure the things I do buy for my children are things that God has in store.  I know that sounds kind of silly, but I seriously am tired of the stuff that seems to plague our lives.

I have felt for awhile like God is telling me to simplify my life and the lives of my family members.  Instead of focusing on the stuff we can get our kids, I am instead trying to focus on Jesus and on family traditions.  Things like making cookies, decorating the tree, reading the Christmas story, watching Christmas movies together.  These are the things I believe our children will remember.  These are the memories that are warm and cozy.

Maybe you are a person that can remember what you got from who when.  I am not.  I have been blessed many times by wonderful, thoughtful, and even expensive presents here and there.  When I think about my Christmas memories, I think about the family times we had together.  This is especially true from my childhood.  I don't remember many of the gifts I received as a child.  I simply remember the family members that were present and the fun, warm times that we had.  I remember the anticipation of the gifts more than the gifts.

I think it is important to give more than just more stuff for your kids to play with.  I'll be honest, I find it tacky for kids to get too much.  Loading your kids with a bunch of gifts isn't what Christmas is supposed to be about.  Unfortunately, that is what Christmas has become.  The memories we want to give our children center around the gifts.  Then, we get into this horrible cycle where we feel we have to out-do ourselves every year.

If my kids need something, Christmas is a wonderful time to get it.  If they have their heart set on a gift, and I know it will be special for them and I can afford it, then I would love to bless my child with something they desire. I'm not saying don't buy your child a gift or two for Christmas.  There just seems to be no balance in some of the people I see.

In this family, gifts are nice.  But Christmas is about JESUS!  Gifts, to me, are meant to honor the family God has given you.  I don't think you are honoring them by just buying them more and more stuff.  If you want to give them something precious, buy them an experience.  I like to buy my kids movie passes, or gift certificates to places we don't get to go often.  I would love to pre-pay for their way to camp or on a trip, but I haven't been able to this year.  These things are great because most stuff will be around for awhile and then be gone.  An experience will be remembered much longer. 

Maybe there is some good to come out of an struggling economy.  People are having a rough time, and that is tough and even tragic and life-altering.  Yet, for some, with finances limited, people can truly take stock of their lives and set priorities and stop focusing on just getting more and more STUFF.  For me, less stuff and less money has helped to clear the way to help me see God in a clearer light.  I see easier now how much I need to depend on Him and how even my best efforts often can't change things... but He can.