I’m grateful that I’m up this morning, that the newspaper was at the door, that other people are around (yes, my wife even got up an hour early today)–wasn’t the world supposed to come to an end today? Or as one cartoon put it, maybe it’s just the Mayans who came to an end.
It is the winter solstice and it came in with the first day of winter weather. But I like snow. So I’m grateful for even that.
I was going through some recent notes and saw one I made a month or so ago–entitlement is the enemy of gratitude. As I was contemplating that and Matthew Chapter 2 this morning staring at our Christmas tree, I thought of all the people who believe they are entitled to receiving lots of presents in a few days. How many are grateful for friends and family who give those gifts? Or grateful to live in a rich and free society that can provide for them?
The magi, called wise men in English translations, were trained in seeing signs in astronomical events. They saw one such event and figured out the meaning. They traveled most likely from Persia (note that they were not Jewish) to find a baby who would be king. When they found him, they gave gifts.
Matthew says they had great joy. Joy is the flip side of gratitude this season. Giving a gift is done out of the pure joy of giving. If it’s an obligation or given to ungrateful people, it is just a chore. But given with just the pure joy of giving, now that’s a Spiritual practice.
And receiving? Just receive with gratitude that someone was thinking about you and cared enough to give.
Jesus was (and still is) a gift. To us. Just accept the gift with gratitude. Then share the gift. That’s legal–in fact, expected. With joy. That’s really all you need.
Faith Venture 
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