Guest Post from Jodi Thompson on Thoughtful Giving

When I saw a message from Judson asking that I write a guest post for his Christmas blog, I immediately knew I would do it.  In truth, I would do just about anything for Judson and Kathleen, which probably comes as a big surprise to anyone who has watched Judson and I volley insults back and forth over Facebook. Don’t let too many people know, but I really love that fat bastard with his fake tan and patronizing tone. (I don’t really need to address adoring Kathleen, because really, who doesn’t adore Kathleen? Probably Kanye West, but his judgment on all things is, at best, questionable.)

I want to talk about presents. Christmas is all about getting awesome presents, or jumping into deep debt to provide awesome presents for the people around you. It doesn’t matter if your child has a bad attitude and you’d really like to give them a trip to military school, they deserve that iBox12 that comes pre-loaded with an app to remotely control the International Space Station. Your boss, who is a complete will surely stop making you pick up the slack for your co-workers if you give him that $80 bottle of whisky. Oh, and your slacking co-workers – how about a gift card for a night at the movies?

If you haven’t detected the sarcasm by now, please stop reading. Bless your heart, you need to stick to Pinterest.

For the rest of you – getting presents is neat. I love getting presents. Most of all, I love getting presents that show the giver has put some thought into them. Most, most of all, I love giving those presents. To that end, on my blog, I am featuring 31 Days of Thoughtful Giving and highlighting some ways to show you care. (Hint – they don’t always involve money.) I would also like to invite you to leave a comment (on either or both blogs) telling about your favorite thoughtful gift to give or receive.

There isn’t anything inherently evil in the types of gifts that I mentioned, the evil comes when we give those gifts for the wrong reasons. If you give because it is expected, you need to check someone off a list or you just don’t know what they might like – those are the wrong reasons.  The person on the other end knows it, too. Gifting should not be a business transaction, it should be an emotional connection.

I promised Judson I would present some options for people that don’t live in my awesome burg, so here you go – five thoughtful gift options for anyone, anywhere.

• A copy of your favorite book with an inscription about what it means to you. Bonus points if it is your personal copy of the book.
• A date.  Settle on a date in the future where you will put aside everything else just to hang out and spend the day with the recipient.  Distance doesn’t matter – Skype makes it possible anywhere.
• A donation to an organization close to the recipient’s heart. Are they an animal lover? Have they lost someone to cancer or heart disease? Do they have a passion for missions? A small donation in their honor gives twice.
• No money but lots of time? Volunteer in their honor instead of making a cash donation. Present a card with your commitment outlined – “I will be volunteering at the North Texas Food Bank every second Tuesday in 2014 to honor you and your passion for ending food insecurity.” Then do it.
• A heartfelt holiday wish. Truly, sometimes the best gift is just someone telling you what you mean to them. A few personal lines in a boxed card is fine – the important thing is that you mean it. (Don’t forget to pray over the recipients as you prepare your cards. You have an actual list in front of you of the people who mean the most – you won’t have a better opportunity!)

Go forth and be thoughtful.