Of christmas and shoe-boxes

The month of December is a special one for me. There are more reasons than one for my thrill every December. I was born in December; my wife was also born in December. My Dad was born on Christmas day. I also have a sibling that was born in the same month. The icing on the cake for me is that it is the month that the birth of Jesus is celebrated worldwide. Such an honour and privilege. Although there is no historical record to show that the birthday of Jesus falls in December, the fact that that month was picked to celebrate it is enough for me. As a matter of fact, my Mum told me that after I was born, no other baby boy was born in that hospital until after Christmas. So they named me Baby Jesus. Although the reality of a relationship with Him did not occur until I was almost thirty years of age. I have never regretted the decision to have that relationship for one moment ever since. It is a relationship I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending to any and everyone.

The spirit of this season is that of celebration, goodwill and festivity, even though the economic situation, worsened by unpaid salaries in many states and the free fall of the Naira is a veritable threat to the festive side of the season. However, it is more important to recognize that the essence of the season is not just about the eating and drinking. It is about family, about celebrating the love and care that we share. Our common bond with the rest of humanity. The devotion to the things that unite rather than the things that divide. The joy of being alive to witness the possibilities inherent in the coming year even as the current year is ebbing out. The joy of a Saviour who sacrificed His life so that humanity may learn to really live. We give and receive gifts, not because we lack but because we have something inside us that wants to connect with others. There is an intrinsic dimension of us that feels fulfilled with the presence and love of those who mean a lot to us.

Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. One particular year a few days before Christmas, he came home looking for the family’s only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. He searched everywhere for it but had to give up the search when he could not find it. He was very angry when he later discovered that his five-year-old daughter had used it all up. He did not hesitate to punish her heavily for such act of indiscretion.

Because of the harsh financial condition of the family – what he made was barely enough to feed the family with little or nothing left over for savings – he did not know where he would get enough money for another wrapping paper of that quality. While trying to figure that out, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was curious about where she got the money to buy what was in the shoebox.

The day after Christmas, known as Boxing Day, when family members exchanged gifts, the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, “This is for you, Daddy!”

As he opened the box, the man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction. Feelings of regret welled up inside him. He wished he had not punished her.

He was however excited to open the box. But when he opened the shoebox, much to his chagrin, he found it was empty. This time, his anger practically boiled over. He decided it was time to give the little girl a piece of his mind.

“Don’t you know, young lady,” he said harshly, “when you give someone a present, there’s supposed to be something inside the package!”

The little girl looked up at him. Her eyes glistened with the tears that had welled up in them.  With sad tears rolling from her eyes she stuttered, “Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full.”

The father felt crushed. This time, he was the one crying. as the tears cascaded down his face, he fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his misdirected and irresponsible anger. Little did anyone know that it would be their last Christmas together.

A few months thereafter, the little girl died in a car accident. The shoebox became the item that the father treasured most as a memorial to his daughter. He kept this little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.

As we celebrate Christmas therefore, salary or no salary, money or no money, food or no food, everyone of us has something to give to others. It may not be an expensive present but a responsive presence. It may not be a big gift but a big heart. A smile may be the tonic that does the magic. Whatever you get or have to give, recognize that the most valuable things in life cannot be bought with money.

All of us have been given a box filled with the unconditional love of God and the love of those who we love and who love us. Instead of focusing on what we may think we have lost in the course of the outgoing year, we should learn to concentrate on the so much that we have left. If you still have a mouth to complain, think about others who wish they could even speak at all. You have no shoes? think about those who have no feet. Your parents or your spouse didn’t buy you what you wanted for Christmas? Think of the several people who have no parents or spouse!

We all have something to be thankful for if only we would reflect deeply and focus our attention on those who God has blessed us with and the love they have for us.

I wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a fulfilling New Year. My Christmas gift to you? Check the box. I filled it with appreciation. Just for you. For letting me invade your world for so many years!

Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!