A Gift-Wrapping Lesson From My Daughter

I bumped into an acquaintance at church recently and asked how his week had been.

"Mostly good," he replied. He hesitated, then continued, "It's just been really busy. It will almost be easier when. . ." He paused. "I don't want to wish the Christmas season away, but to a certain extent it will be nice when everything calms down after the 25th."

He said out loud what many of us occasionally think. December is a busy month, full of duties, dates, preparations, and celebrations. There's so much to get done, and so little time to do it. At times it feels like we're trudging through, getting stuff done; and in the meantime, we don't have the energy to be excited about it and really enjoy it.

That's why I'm glad I came across the Christmas presents my 5-year old has been wrapping.

If you look at the picture, you can see what she does on most nights when she gets home. After asking my wife for some wrapping paper scraps, she rushes to her room for a while and reemerges with a newly wrapped masterpiece, labeled by a makeshift name tag, to enthusiastically put under the tree. Apparently they are pre-school projects that she's wrapping up for us. There are now more than ten packages that look exactly like this under our tree at this moment.

It's her spirit and enthusiasm in wrapping these gifts that reminds me of the right approach to all that's going on right now. Yes, I'm excited to see loved ones and celebrate Christmas at many family events. The getting ready, though, is not necessarily done in a spirit of "Christmas cheer." Elise can't wait to open presents at our house, but she's also really enthusiastic about getting ready. She wants everything to be just right, and she's willing to use whatever is available, whether it be perfect or not, in her enthusiasm. The pictured gift has 3 different patterns of wrapping paper and a mountain of scotch tape. But it was wrapped by her, thinking of us, and she put a big fat bow on top to make it even cooler.

In all of the last-minute hurrying going on at your house and mine, perhaps we can apply this lesson - not to quit hurrying, but to hurry with enthusiasm and love, anxiously anticipating and rushing towards all that's good.