The Perfect Gift

There is so much in the way of gift giving during this season and so many potential pitfalls. For instance, there are the standard gifts that you want to buy and a list is usually made to include ones partner, children, parents, brothers, sisters etc but then there are all the additional gifts that you could buy if you choose to or if it's the done thing to do.

In my working life I've been part of more Secret Santa gift giving circles than I care to mention. I've also received some amazing gifts from very highly paid superiors which has then resulted in that sense of being a little overwhelmed at their generosity but then also a bit worried about whether the very mediocre gift I've managed to give them then appears paltry in comparison.

For the record, I am a very bad shopper and gift giver. I always try so hard and have great ideas that I'll buy or have made, the most beautiful cards and gifts, so beautifully wrapped but then I always fall short of the hope that I had, to give the perfect gifts. 

I love to receive beautiful gifts and especially surprises. I hate knowing what someone is buying me and find it so odd that someone would even tell me and destroy the excitement of a beautiful surprise. 

My sisters (possibly the people who know me best but then that opens a whole can of worms) are amazing gift givers, they always manage to get the perfect gifts and they keep them as surprises until I have that special thrill of opening fantastic gifts that I get to treasure, knowing how well they know me. 

Having said that, I am relatively easy to buy for. I love lotions and potions, Coco Chanel Mademoiselle perfume, books and classic movies, silver jewellery and red, sparkly things. (Oh and I've recently discovered that my husband has been reading this blog so if he's reading this and he would like to buy me an extra gift - I'd love a new bag darling, big enough to put all my council papers and diaries and notepads and pens etc in - preferably red or black, but brown or cream is okay if it's nice x) 

My husband is great at giving gifts. One year, I said that I didn't need anything except Love so he went and bought a canvas and painted it with the word LOVE on it. It now hangs in our home above a montage of photographs of our family. I love the LOVE.

Anyway, back to the point, finding and giving the perfect gift can be hard work, and there's always a worry that someone may have been missed off the list. 

But this morning at church, I was reminded that there is so much about the Christmas season that is stressful (shopping etc) and that we hear the nativity story so often that we almost become too familiar with it. We make it all pretty and lovely and sanitise it whereas the reality was almost definitely far dirtier and grittier. One of my favourite films of recent years which I feel handles this fairly well is The Nativity Story. The actors at least appear middle eastern in appearance and the journey to Bethlehem is fraught with danger. One scene which I particularly love is where Mary feels her baby kick for the first time. I saw this film when I was pregnant with my first son and was amazed as I'd never really thought of that aspect of the miracle of Jesus birth.

Despite all the stress of the season and the familiarity of the story, the perfect gift of salvation through the birth of Jesus - Emmanuel, God with us, is something so simple and so profound that nothing will ever top it as far as I'm concerned. There is no judgement, no condemnation, no rules and regulations, only pure, unconditional love. I'm so grateful, and I hope that I will live my life as a thank you card for the best gift of all.