Give Abundantly: A Story of An Addict’s First Christmas

I’m not anti-gift-giving, but seeing as how I’m learning to live life with less stuff, I definitely lean toward buying less around the holidays. I truly believe less is more.

Photo Credit: Alan Cleaver, Creative Commons

But the other morning I heard a story that opened my eyes to this discussion in a new way.

I was spending some time with an organization I love called Thistle Farms in Nashville. Thistle Farms is a social enterprise dedicated to creating organic, environmentally friendly and truly wonderful body products. And the employees at Thistle Farms are, for the most part, women who are recovering from criminal convictions, prostitution and drug addiction.

Every Wednesday morning I’m in town, I join the women of Thistle Farms for their morning meditation. It’s truly the highlight of my week. Everyone there is such an inspiration to me.

This past week, during the morning mediation, we went around the circle and shared what we’re grateful for this Christmas. Everyone shared something different, but one woman shared how her daughter had lost her job, and was having a hard time “doing Christmas” for her granddaughter this year.

She shared how she had offered to help with presents and such.

So she went shopping, she said, and bought a stocking and several things to fill it. She bought some Christmas decorations, and a few gifts she knew her daughter and granddaughter would like. She wrapped them carefully in sparkly paper, then  told her daughter that she could come pick up the presents whenever she was ready.

While the presents sat on this woman’s kitchen table, she said the realization overwhelmed her—this would be the first time she was able to “do Christmas” for any of her children.

Her story made me re-think my “less is more” mentality, at least a little bit.

I think the reason “less is more” for me is because I’ve truly enjoyed “more” at Christmas for most of my life. I’ve never considered myself “rich” really (everyone around me always seems to have more money) but I’ve always had a feast of food on the table, a full stocking, and plenty of wonderful presents.

Watching the tears in this woman’s eyes, I couldn’t help but see how much the presents she was able to buy for her granddaughter really mattered to her.

How much they would mean to her granddaughter…

To her daughter…

And it made me see how the gifts she was giving weren’t just “stuff” wrapped up in paper.

The stocking wasn’t just cloth, and the tiny little stuffers she bought to put in it weren’t just trinkets. It all represented something so much bigger. It represented the freedom she had found from her life of addiction. It represented provision for her family. It was an image of deep love and care. It represented the joy of the season. It represented an experience and sense of belonging.

And in that sense, the stuff she bought for her granddaughter’s Christmas really mattered.

In her case, having more this Christmas really mattered.

Most of us don’t know what it feels like to truly need more this Christmas—but I think the lesson here is transcendent.

Whatever you choose to give as gifts this year, don’t allow the “stuff” you give to just be “stuff.” Make it be a symbol of freedom, provision, deep love and care. Pour into it joy and belonging.

Give abundantly in that way. And no matter what you give, less really will be more.

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