Who gives away anything for free, these days?

 Happy Christmas! A free gift for you…

Have you ever had your suspicions raised when someone is giving out things for free?

Why are they doing that? What’s “the catch”? Is there a hidden motive, or an annoying group or newsletter to sign up to?

There’s a great Aussie saying that “there is no such thing as a free lunch” --- everything has a cost to someone, somewhere, sooner or later.

Christmas gifts are costly – time, effort, thought and risk. What if the person doesn’t like it?

It’s easier these days to return gifts, or - to openly declare on social media what you want or do not want, and of course, money or gift cards remove a lot of the risk of giving.

What is the cost of Christmas lunch or dinner? Not just the food, but the preparation and the buying of ingredients, the management of time, household members and the invitations to guests who may or may not come. And the risk of relationships.

Christmas is a time when all of us need to prepare our hearts and minds to give gifts. Not gifts purchased or made, but much bigger than that. Gifts of forgiveness, grace, mercy and love to the undeserving of our own families and lives. Gifts that cannot be seen, or counted, or understood except with the heart.

A free gift that you give to yourself is to let go of hurt and free your heart and mind from anger and bitterness.

A free gift that you give another is to let them be the imperfect human that they are, without trying to make them into what you had hoped they might be.

On that first Christmas, the gift of the baby Jesus was to show imperfect humanity that they could come just as they were – poor shepherds, unmarried mother, confused father, and searching wise men.

The gift of Christmas is freely given, and we remember that we too have cost others time, money, patience, care, worry and troubles over the years of our lives.

When we receive freely given gifts, our natural urge is to want to do something to ‘pay’, but what about just accepting the gift, and saying “thank you”? Open your heart to ‘undeserved’ and unexpected gifts – time, compliments, free fruit, hugs, or other joys.

The point of God sending Jesus is that no-one is ever good enough, no-one is worthy: it is just pure love, mercy, and grace for humanity. That is the gift of Christmas.