Christ in the Calling: Stop the Giving!

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

-Luke 2:19

Tonight is Christmas Eve, the night when many gather together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Luke tells us the details of that night, that after the shepherds left and the angels’ voices fell silent, “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Mary received a gift she treasured yet perhaps didn't fully grasp the significance. Even so, she held what God had done without rushing to understand it, with her soul likely still singing the words of the Magnificat.

One Christmas Eve, my Grandpa gave me picture of what that kind of pause can look like. As a child, my family always worshiped at church and later returned home to open presents with aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandparents, always at our house. In the middle of our family’s gift-giving while wrapping paper was flying and laughter was filling the room, he would suddenly shout, “Stop the giving!” Everything would come to a halt. We would turn our attention to him as he read a poem he had written for my Grandma. This happened repeatedly throughout the evening, and each time, he smiled, laughed, and delighted in interrupting the momentum with his command to "stop the giving!" I don’t even remember if there was a final gift at the end of the night! What I do remember is the joy of stopping long enough to notice love already present as Grandpa directed our attention to his plan. Years later, our family has once in a while brought out this phrase at Christmas, laughing at this cherished memory of him.

Gift-giving, however, is not always joyful. In many families, marriages, and friendships, it can be a source of stress and conflict. Some people express love by finding the perfect gift. Others carry the burden of shopping for everyone. Some plan carefully with detailed lists and budgets; others give little or nothing at all. And most of us know exactly which gifts we want, and which ones we don’t.

Teachers are no different. We know the gifts we hope for: well-behaved students, supportive parents, meaningful planning time, fewer meetings, evenings free from extra obligations. We also know the gifts we would gladly refuse: behavior challenges, disrespect, exhaustion, conflict, endless unproductive meetings, and I'm sure the list goes on for many.

Yet God gives without asking for our wish list. Mary did not expect the gift of the long-promised Messiah to come as a tiny, vulnerable baby. That gift disrupted her plans, complicated her life, and eventually caused her family to flee to Egypt. The gift God gave the world came with real difficulty, fear, and uncertainty. Yet, it was the gift He planned for her and all of humanity.

God knows the right gift. And in His mercy, He calls out, “Stop the giving!”  Stop striving to control outcomes. Stop sorting experiences into wanted and unwanted. Stop measuring the value of a season by how easy it was. And instead, receive what He so graciously has given.

Like Mary, you have carried much this year. Tonight, treasure it. Ponder it. Let stillness enter your soul as you worship the infant Messiah. Trust that even the things you did not choose are held within God’s care, and that He is present with you, even now.

Prayer

Oh God, Giver of all good gifts, on this night when the world grows quiet, help us to stop the giving and simply receive what you offer us. Like Mary, teach us to treasure and ponder what You have done and what You are still doing among us. Quiet our striving hearts, calm our anxious thoughts, and open our hearts to the gift of Your Son. As we wait in wonder at the manger, help us rest in Your presence, trusting that Your gifts, seen and unseen, are given in love. Amen.