Don’t be deceived, my dearly loved brothers. Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.
By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the first fruits of His creatures.
James 1:17-18 HCSB
This week and next week people will be lined up at customer service counters in stores and at shipping locations for FedEx and UPS returning gifts. In a study done by Oracle in 2019 15,800 shoppers were surveyed. A whopping 77 percent of shoppers expected they would be returning gifts. What’s more is 20 per cent of those shoppers expected to return more than half of the gifts they received.
This has caused a shift for retailers who are finding they need to have more liberal return policies. Customers are more apt to shop with a retailer knowing the recipient can easily return the gift.
My mom used to be one of those people, she was likely to return whatever gift was purchased for her. I used to joke that I was just going to start buying her a candy bar for gift giving occasions.
It’s hard to know what to buy someone oftentimes because we live in a society where people just buy what they want all through the year. This makes it extremely difficult to buy for them at Christmastime.
Were you happy with the gifts you received or are you wanting to take some of them back? Looking back what is the best and the worst gift you received?
I must say I received some very good gifts. I was happy with all I received. But I also have to say that God gave me the best gifts. I had several friends that I don’t usually exchange gifts with that bought me gifts. I would like to have had a gift for them, but I was caught by surprise.
But the best thing is not only did they give me nice gifts which I appreciate, but I wonder if they know that God has gifted me with their friendship and I treasure that above any other gift they could have given me?
We purchased gifts for nieces and nephews, son and daughter-in-law and my mother-in-law hoping they would like them. We received nice gifts from them in turn. But do they realize the greatest gift I received this Christmas was seeing them healthy and happy?
My mom can no longer accompany me on shopping trips. I wonder if she knows her smile was one of the best gifts I got this Christmas?
My husband got me a really nice gift, but does he understand that His love and devotion are the best gifts I could ask for?
My mom’s sitter has become a part of our family. She got me several nice gifts, but the greatest gift she has given me is the love she has shown for my mom and our family.
I realized when all the gifts were unwrapped and I sat here contemplating when I would take down the Christmas decorations, my greatest gifts were the people God has put in my life. It’s no wonder James tells us in 1:17 not to be deceived. He doesn’t want us to misunderstand or be misled.
When we receive anything good it is from God. It comes from above from the Father of Lights. He will never change. We can count on His goodness and mercy and love.
The best gift I received this year is the love of family and friends. I wouldn’t dream of returning it for all the money or riches on this earth.
As far as I’m concerned, wealth is not determined by how much money we have in the bank. It is determined by the love we have in our hearts. My prayer for you this holiday season is that each and everyone of you will feel rich with God’s love and mercy and will be blessed with good friends and family.
Have a great day!