The First Christmas Gift

Why? We know that while a gift can bring joy to some, it can also bring sadness to others.

For example, men have come to realize there are some things you do not buy for your wife on her birthday or at Christmas. Men who have been married for a long period of time have learned some things.

• Don’t give her a gift certificate to Jenny Craig or to Weight Watchers, because she is going to want to know what you meant by choosing such a gift

• Never buy a woman anti-wrinkle cream

• Never give them a book on "How to be the ideal wife"

• Don’t buy her any jewelry, because what she wants you can not afford and what you can afford she does not want.

• Don’t spend more than you can afford, because she will say, “How are we going to afford this!” Then again, if you buy something that seems inexpensive, she is going to feel like you do not love her.

Some women do not consider many gifts as gifts, they consider them to be reasons to do their husband bodily harm.

Also, men have to be careful what they give their mother-in-law.

Illus: A Jewish gentleman, fresh out of gift ideas, bought his mother-in-law a large plot in an expensive cemetery. On her next birthday, he bought her nothing. She was quick to comment loud and long on his thoughtlessness.

He replied, "Well, you haven't used the gift I gave you last year yet."

We have to be careful before we by some gifts, because they can be more of a punishment than they are a gift.

Illus: This makes us think of the man who received a parrot for Christmas. He did not need a parrot, nor did he necessarily want a parrot.

Want it or not, that is what he received.

This parrot was fully grown with a bad attitude and a bad vocabulary. Every other word was garbage-can language.

This man immediately began to go to work on the bird’s attitude and vocabulary. But it seemed that everything he tried failed.

• He was constantly saying polite words, hoping the bird would add these to his vocabulary

• He would often play soft music, hoping this would have an affect on the bird

• He yelled at the bird, and the bird got worse

• He took the bird out of the cage and shook the bird, and the bird got angrier and ruder

Nothing he thought of using to change this bird’s attitude and vocabulary seemed to work!

Finally, one day he was standing by a freezer, and he got so angry with the bird that he opened the door of the freezer and placed him in inside and shut the door.

For a few moments he heard the bird squawking, kicking and screaming and using his customary foul language, but suddenly, all was quiet.

The man was frightened that he might have actually frozen the parrot. He quickly opened the freezer door. The parrot calmly stepped out onto the man’s extended arm and said, "I'm sorry that I have offended you with my language and actions. I ask for your forgiveness. Please do not ever put me in that freezer again, I promise I will never say a bad word as long as I live."

The man was astounded at the bird's humility and change of attitude. The bird, still shivering from the freezer, said to the man, “May, I ask you one thing sir, WHAT DID THAT CHICKEN DO to deserve getting plucked and put in the freezer?”

We have to be careful what we give, because sometimes our gifts can be more of a punishment than a gift. Before you grandparents buy your grandchildren a set of drums, you might want to first consult with their parents.

But let’s get back to the very FIRST CHRISTMAS. We have Christmas because God gave mankind the greatest gift that has ever been given.

• It was a gift of love

• It was a gift that was needed then and is still needed today

It was such a precious gift, the Bible says, “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”

Look at the word “Pondered”, this is the word “Sumballo” (Pronounced as Soom-bal'-lo) meaning TO MENTALLY CONSIDER.

The coming of Christ was the most glorious thing that has ever happened on this earth, and she pondered every precious detail of what took place.

Now what is sad about Christmas is that many do not see it that way. They celebrate Christmas, and they never ponder the reason we have Christmas. They never think of Jesus. They live a life of selfishness all year, and when Christmas comes, it is still all ABOUT THEMSELVES!