The other day I was a-thinking. Yea, I do think every now and then but not too darn much so as to get a headache. But I was thinking, (money being no object), what would I give all of you for Christmas if I could.

New cars for everyone came to mind; huge raises for all; the Christmas lights all working the very first time; the reason why someone invented “ye olde fruitcake.” But now on a more serious note, here are ten gifts I would give, if I could.

The gift of appreciation. We all should appreciate what we have just a little more, don’t you think? Appreciate what you have; count your blessings, one by one.

The gift of generosity. There is a powerful underlying theme from the “good book,” and that is from the gospel of St. Luke, chapter 6, verse 38. Nope, you gotta look it up yourself.

The gift of encouragement: Every now and then, we all can use a little boost. Everyone’s going through something, and the gift of encouragement can go a long way to help. And it doesn’t cost anything.

The gift of hope. When one loses hope, life ceases to be fun. In 2022, take a chance and hope it’s gonna be a great year. Every good thing begins with hope.

The gift of prayer. I don’t think I’ve ever been turned down when I’ve asked someone if I could pray for or with them. We all need a little help from above, don’t we? And ya know, it just might help

The gift of optimism. Ah, the twin brother of hope. Forget the “half-full glass” thinking. An optimist always sees the way things could be and then tries to make it a reality. Remember Robert Kennedy’s quote.

The gift of forgiveness and apology. I don’t exactly know how one really does this, but just forgive and let it go. And don’t be too proud & stubborn to say “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

The gift of humor. Enjoy life and laugh, laugh and laugh some more. Oh and by the way, laugh at yourself. Everyone else is! (hahaha) And always have one funny joke ready to tell.

The gift of time. Remember the greatest and most important things in life, are note things. Every year we lose loved ones. Now is the time to spend precious time with them. Don’t miss special occasions.

The gift of unconditional love and acceptance. That turn the other cheek thing Jesus talks about is really powerful. It comes from simple unconditional love.

Here’s one more.

The gift of unity. Politics has certainly polarized everyone. Can’t we disagree and still be great friends? That would be so nice.

There you have it–gifts that have no monetary value, either in giving or receiving, but their value is immeasurable, don’t you think. And these gifts can and should be given year around. So, from the Sheda Family your Your Family–Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

John Sheda is the pastor at Living Water Church in Independence. He is a native of Chelsea and a South Tama County alumni (Class of 1969).