Originally Posted by Jenn218  A lot of friends do the 3 gifts for their Children........here is what they do below................hope you don't mind me posting it here.
Begging for Myrrh
Stressed out by Christmas presents? Try this simple approach
to godly gift giving.
By Trina Conner Schaetz
If you're like most Christian parents, you enter the holiday season
intent on focusing your family's celebrations on the "true meaning"
of Christmas. We set up our nativity sets, bake birthday cakes for
Jesus, and reenact the birth of the Savior so that our children aren't
confused about what Christmas is about. Some of us even choose
to keep Santa out of our holiday to prevent our children from losing
sight of Jesus' birth.
But Santa or no Santa, most families find that the whole gift-giving
commotion ends up fizzling our focus anyway. Even if Mom and
Dad try to reign in the gift explosion, kids get oodles of presents
f rom Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Bob and Aunt Susie, friends,
and even neighbors. As a result, our visions of a meaning-filled
Christmas get buried under all the wrapping paper, and by
December 26, we start making promises to do things better
next year.
In an effort to maintain some control over the lessons learned
at Christmas, my husband and I have come up with a way of
giving gifts that seems to work beautifully. Maybe you've tried
limiting your giving to three gifts per child to echo the three
gifts Jesus received from the Magi. But our idea takes this
plan a step further. The three gifts themselves symbolize
those that Jesus received from the wise men: "On coming
to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and
they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened
their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of
incense and of myrrh" (Matt. 2:11).
On Christmas morning, our immediate family takes time to
reflect on why we celebrate Christmas . Each child receives
three presents: one to represent gold, one to represent
frankincense, and one to represent myrrh. As we open
them, we talk about the special significance behind the
gifts that Jesus received, and how they symbolize Jesus
as King, as God, and as Savior.
Gifts of Gold
When Jesus was born, gold was even more valuable than
it is today. It was a gift that was fit for a king or someone
of the highest regard. What a great symbol it was for Jesus
to receive such an offering from t he wise men, as he is
indeed the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Not only did the gold gift signify Jesus' kingly position,
but in their book, Gifts for the King, (published by Priscilla
and Aquilla Ministries and available at house2house.org),
Bill and Leah Miller suggest that the gold may also have
helped Mary and Joseph escape Bethlehem. It may have
paid for the family's expenses and protection while they
traveled secretly to Egypt to flee King Herod.
This Christmas, explain to your children how the wise
men's gift of gold was significant to Jesus and his family.
Then give each child her own "gold" gift. The present
should be something of great importance to suggest
how valuable your child is to your family.
Gold gifts often end up being our most expensive
presents. For example, a gold gift might be the bicycle
a child has been dreaming about, the CD player she has
been saving for, or a piece of jewelry that seems
appropriate. For an extra treat, wrap the "gold" gift in
shiny gold paper with iridescent gold bows or ribbons.
Gifts of Frankincense
Frankincense is a white resin or sap taken from the
wounds of a tree found in East Africa and Southern
Arabia. Today, frankincense is known for its antiseptic,
anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. No wonder
people in ancient times begged for it. It was probably
one of the ancient world's first "cure-all" medicines,
healing everything from infections to headaches. Surely
Mary and Joseph could use the gift of frankincense with
a new baby around.
Frankincense was also a sacred substance. In Exodus
30:34-37, God specifically requests that frankincense be
used as sacred incense in his Temple and forbids the
Israelites to use frankincense for anything besides his
religious purposes. God commanded the Israelites to
place frankincense in front of the Tent of Meeting to
scent the place where he had promised to meet with
them.
Years after that temple was destroyed, God sent his
own Son, Jesus, to b e a symbolic "Tent of Meeting"
for all people. How appropriate, then, that the wise
men brought frankincense as a gift for Mary's baby.
Jesus had become our Emmanuel: God with us.
With that in mind, your child's "frankincense" gift
should correspond with the way he "meets" with
God. For example, you could give your child a new
study Bible, a devotional book, a journal, or worship
CD as a frankincense gift. A younger child might
enjoy a Christian video or CD of children's praise
songs. Eventually, your children will be able to
identify the ways they most enjoy spending time
with God and will be able to suggest future ideas
for their frankincense gifts. As a symbolic touch,
decorate frankincense presents with bright white
paper and bows to represent the sacred white
incense that Jesus received.
Gifts of Myrrh
Like frankincense, myrrh is also a resin taken
from a special tree; however, rather than being
white, myrrh is a dark, earthy color and has a
rich aroma. In ancient times myrrh was used to
scent anointing oils, perfumes, and embalming
liquids. Today you can still find myrrh added to
some soaps, oils, and loti ons.
Miller notes that myrrh was more costly than
gold or frankincense because it was needed for
the sacred embalming process before a person's
burial. Still, it seems strange to offer an embalming
liquid as a gift to celebrate a baby's birth. But when
you consider that Jesus was born to eventually die
for our sins, the symbolism behind the treasured
gift of myrrh becomes easier to understand. John
19:39-40 confirms that Nicodemus did, in fact,
anoint Jesus with myrrh as part of his burial
preparation.
I a m not, however, suggesting that you give your
child a gift suitable for her funeral. Instead, remind
your children that even though Jesus started out as
a little baby, he was sent to die on the cross to take
the punishment for each of our sins. Then, as a family,
be thankful for Jesus' sacrifice.
For a "myrrh" gift, present each child with something
to "anoint" her body. For instance, you might give
scented bath soaps, perfume or cologne, lotion, or
shampoo. For younger children, choose colorful bath
bubbles or playful tub soaps. To stretch your options
a little far ther, consider buying combs, hair products,
comfy towels, or even make-up if it's age appropriate.
If you look hard enough, you might even find something
made with real myrrh. Wrap the myrrh gift with earth-
toned paper to represent myrrh's rich dark color.
The Real Gift
With a little creativity, these three gifts of gold,
frankincense, and myrrh will help remind your children
that Jesus is our King of kings, our Emmanuel, and
our Sacrificial Lamb. When the extended family arrives
bearing even more gifts, your children will already be
focused on Christ and be able to receive additional
presents gratefully and graciously. They might even
enjoy telling other relatives about their "wise men"gifts.
Have fun with this approach. Your kids might not get it
at first, but as the years go by, it will become a treasured
family tradition; it has for us. No matter how many gifts
come flooding through your door, the three gifts will help
your whole family remember that the most important gift
given on that first blessed Christmas came not from the
wise men, but from God: the gift of his Son and our Savior,
Jesus Christ. |