(Photo by Selma Komisky)

How-To: Giving This Christmas Away

By Lexi

Christmas is finally here again, and I seriously have been waiting for it all year long! Christmas has always been my favorite time of year! From the lights to the Christmas music, from family time to our Savior’s birth, Christmas is a very joyful and hopeful season. One of my favorite Christmas songs is this song by Matthew West and Amy Grant called, “Give this Christmas Away”, and it has spoken to me this holiday season. So, what does this phrase mean? How do I “Give this Christmas away?” I’m no expert, but I have prayed about what this looks like and came up with this three-step method on how to give this Christmas away. So…. Are you ready to give this Christmas away? Let’s get to it!

#1 Remember the True Meaning of Christmas

Sure, the lights, the music, the snow, the gifts, are all a wonderful part of Christmas. My favorite is the music; I love a bunch of Christmas songs from “Silent Night to “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey (Some of you may beg to differ:) But think about it. Is all of that really what Christmas is all about? What if you took away all the lights, the snow, the music, the gifts, would you still be excited about Christmas? Before we can give this Christmas away to someone, we must know the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about hope. The hope of our Savior’s birth. Christmas is about joy. The joy of our Lord coming to this earth. Christmas is about giving. The giving of Jesus to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Christmas is Jesus. Cause without Jesus, there would be no reason to celebrate, therefore, no reason for Christmas. Christmas has “Christ” in its name. Yes, I know, it is so easy to get caught up in all the decorations, the shopping, the fun, and all of these things are okay to enjoy, but if we really want to experience true joy this Christmas, let’s try to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and what He has done for us on that “Silent Night”.

#2 Give this Christmas away by putting others before yourself

Now that you know the true meaning of Christmas, you can now “give this Christmas away”! So how do we do this? Well, first start by humbling yourself. You heard me right. I know that this is a hard thing to do, but trust me, it will help you as you give. When we realize that the whole world doesn’t revolve around us and that we are all created equally by God, we can love others better! You see, giving this Christmas away doesn’t have to cost you a penny. We can give this Christmas away by loving others as Jesus has called us to do. Some ideas include going to a convalescent home and bringing cookies, donating money to the needy, or just giving up some “me time” to go hang out with someone. Small things like giving up time, just to show that you care, can make a huge impact on people’s lives. But one of the main things you can do to “give this Christmas away” is to share the hope of Jesus with others. Since a lot of people who don’t regularly attend church go to the Christmas Eve service, you could invite someone to the service! Even sharing with them a Christmas song about Jesus’ birth could impact them. You never know what God is going to use to reach someone, so take the opportunity of this Christmas season to truly give this Christmas away. And if we do this, I truly believe that we will be able to experience a more meaningful Christmas.

#3 Are you willing?

Christmas is the busiest time of year. But I know that I am going to at least try to make some time for others this Christmas. How about you? Will you join me? Anyone can give this Christmas away, but the question is, “Are you willing to do this?”