Christmas, perhaps, doesn't come from a store

I borrowed a quote from Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to illustrate a point to all of us. In the classic animated adventure, the Grinch took all the gifts, decorations and food from Whoville. He was making his way back up the mountain when he heard the people of Whoville singing their Christmas carols. He turned in disbelief, and then had a revelation. "Christmas, perhaps, doesn't come from a store," he thought. I'm sure you know the rest of the story. It's one of my favorites.

The Grinch was right. Christmas doesn't come from a store. It's easy to get caught up in the shopping frenzy that has become part of the holiday season, though. Over 90% of Americans exchange gifts during the Christmas holiday.

The month leading up to Christmas is traditionally the busiest shopping period of the entire year. For many countries, Christmas is the single largest annual economic stimulus. American consumers spent over $52 billion during Thanksgiving weekend in 2011 and $45 billion during Thanksgiving weekend in 2010. That's a lot of shopping and a lot of money!

While Christmas gifts are a fun part of celebrating the holiday, I hope we can all take a few moments during this Christmas season to reflect on ways we can give the gifts of love, kindness, hope and encouragement. Here are a few suggestions: Find a venue to volunteer a few hours of your time over the next year; donate blood to your local Red Cross; share your Christmas cookies, baked goods, etc. with your neighbors; and if it snows this winter, help your neighbor shovel his or her driveway - especially if you have older neighbors. These are gifts that cost you nothing, but will have great meaning to those around you.

Luke 2

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Jesus

2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.)