My article, Give Like a Child, appears on page 43 of the Winter 2020-21 issue of Christian Living in the Mature Years. The magazine is part of the Adult Bible Studies series published by the United Methodist Publishing House.
Read it below!
December 19, 2019
Give Like a Child
By Kathy Bunse
“Teacher, this is for you!” exclaimed the young boy as he handed me a gift bag. “Open it!”
“Thank you!” I replied, as I peered through the layers of tissue. Several expensive cosmetic items were tucked inside. “There’s candy in the bottom, from me,” he said, urging me to keep searching the bag. I found four wrapped chocolates and held one up. “Chocolate is my favorite. How did you know?” I commented. “It’s my favorite too!” he said with a smile.
During my years as an educator, I received many wonderful gifts, tangible and intangible, from students. Each present led me to the conclusion that adults know how to select gifts, but children know how to give them.
Adults, usually women, shop for gifts. They concentrate on finding something the recipient will find impressive, clever, practical, or memorable. A lot of thought goes into selecting the right gift and sometimes, it becomes a task.
Children simply put themselves into the gift. They tend to follow the adage “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” by choosing gifts they might like to receive. So, parents, grandparents and teachers may get a mug with a Toy Story character on it, a plastic rose that lights up, their best art project or favorite candy. (Yes, I have received and treasured all of those gifts.)
Years of office gift exchanges, Black Fridays and trips to the mall for last minute gifts can rob adults of their child-like sincerity for giving. Thankfully, each Christmas there’s another chance to reset our priorities and rekindle our youthful enthusiasm for sharing and giving. Christ came to Earth as a baby and spent his life giving himself to and for humanity.
“… and a little child will lead them.” Isaiah 11:6 CEB
“Allow the children to come to me,” Jesus said. “don’t forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children.” Matthew 19:14 CEB