“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel.’ which means ‘God is with us.'” – Matthew 1:22-23
We spend less this Christmas so that we give less presents which help fuel greed and believing that life consists of possessions and so that we can give more presence. This is what God modeled for us at the incarnation. God gave himself totally and completely to his people.
Recently I (Tom) have been trying to give two hours of undivided attention to my sons once a week by taking them out for a treat. I have realized how difficult it is to just empty myself and give them my presence, to be there for them. It takes practice to just give our presence, to just be available for the people we love. We will fail before we will succeed, but as we keep giving of ourselves to the people we love, we become imitators and disciples of Christ. As we are simply present and available to the people we love, our relationships will grow and be strengthened.
