Christmas shopping

A long time ago we used to say, with some frustration, “It’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but the stores have their Christmas decorations up. Now we make that kind of remark (complaint?) about Christmas items for sale even before Halloween. When I recently heard a church member say that he had finished all his Christmas shopping, I was filled with a mixture of awe and envy. I am only at the fretting stage.
And fret I do! I love the Advent-Christmas season! I love planning the music for the services I work with; I even love struggling with the sometimes very peculiar Scriptures selected for Advent; I’m filled with gratitude and wonder at the generosity and resourcefulness of our folks who give so much and do so much to make the Christmas season joyful for those who have little. But I fret about gifts. Even when I’m shopping for an unknown child or mom in a family my Reunion Group will sponsor through Any Baby Can, I fret—even agonize—about what to choose. I’m pretty sure I will choose the wrong thing, and can only hope that my selection will be useful, if not loved.

Shopping for family members got easier for me some years ago with the introduction of the Alternative Gift Market in our church. I select gifts that match their interests or situations—educational materials for the teachers and former teachers, farming help for the brother who grew up on the farm and still loves the land, business support for women for my feminist sisters (of both blood and friendship). Each year there’s an array of choices in these categories and others to suit our interests. One year James and Susannah put their resources together in one giant gift, and gave the family a water buffalo. We think about him (her?) often, and wonder about the family and village that large creature has blessed.

This Sunday (and probably again on December6--I always forget someone the first time--I'll go shopping at the Market and choose lots of gifts. But then I’ll still do some shopping for my immediate family, not without fretting. And I’ll tell myself, as I always do, that even though choosing gifts is not my best thing, all my offerings will be received with love and good humor. I trust those who receive them to know that my gifts are representative of the giver—far from perfect, but full of love.