“Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more.”

I love those famous Grinch words – Christmas IS so much more!

On Christmas Eve, after a family dinner and a fun Christmas game, we gather near a toasty fire and a twinkling tree. We read or role play the scriptural account found in Luke 2 of Jesus’ birth. Then, just as Jesus Christ was the first gift of Christmas, the first gift my family receives for Christmas is the Jesus Gift. It is a gift that reminds us of Him and the principles He taught. It helps us to learn more of Him and follow His example. Most years it has been an individual gift for each person; others have been a group family gift.  It can be as simple as an “I am a Child of God” pencil. As our kids have grown older, the giving of the Jesus gift has become a sweet opportunity for us to share our feelings with each other about the baby born in Bethlehem. But no matter how old they were or what the gift was, it has always served as a gentle refocusing on what Christmas is really about.

Here are some of the gifts we’ve given over the years:
Picture of Jesus
Bible storybook
CTR ring
Inspirational music
Scriptures
Religious art
Bookmark
Hymn book
Journal
Scripture marking pen
The book “Jesus the Christ” by James E. Talmadge
Picture of the temple
Framed copy of our family mission statement
Religious movie
Gospel game
Missionary supplies
Quiet book for young children at church
Personal copy of General Conference Addresses
Subscription to a church magazine

The Jesus Gift helps us have a peaceful and holy night, and it’s become something we look forward to every Christmas Eve.

Here’s a great Bible Nativity video to watch with your family this Christmas, maybe to set the tone for giving your own Jesus gift this year!

Shari

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