Her Christmas Gift

By Chuck Cooper



By all accounts but one, twelve-year-old Allie was a “spoiled rotten brat.” Only her Grandma didn’t think so.

Family friends, neighbors and close relatives also thought she was undisciplined, selfish, presumptuous, rude, and the epitome of what the term “princess” implies.

In fact, she was so out of control and stubbornly uncontrollable that most of those who knew her secretly nicknamed her “Alley Cat.” For them, she was the poster child for the “Me First” generation.

Frustrated by her constant misbehavior and having no clue how to change her obnoxious attitude, her frazzled parents had given up. Nothing they tried seemed to work, primarily because Allie had learned that if she persisted long enough, they’d eventually give in. And, when they didn’t give in to her every demand, she’d pitch a “hissy fit” (a whole lot worse than just a plain old “fit”!)

Hoping against all hope because they loved her unconditionally, Allie’s parents concluded that she would eventually outgrow this “life’s stage.” So, they tolerated her tantrums and attempted to both appease and bribe her by giving her whatever her little heart desired.
Unwittingly, her parents had become the consummate “enablers.” Little did they realize that their permissive behavior would develop Allie’s “terrible twos” into what had become her “terrible” life style.

Weeks before Allie’s seventh Christmas, her folks suggested she make a list of the things she wanted Santa to bring her. They were both shocked and appalled when she presented them with a list of 21 items to send to Santa. Her list was detailed and specific even including the brand name for items she wanted and where Santa could find them.

At her parent’s insistence, Allie finally whittled the list to her “Ten Most Wanted” gifts. Included was an expensive half-carat diamond pendant she had seen on a television commercial from a local, upscale diamond boutique. (Ridiculous and impossible, you say? Read on!)

Eagerly ripping open her gifts with nary a thought of being grateful that Christmas Day, she suddenly erupted when she opened her last gift expecting to find the pendant only to discover it was a simple child’s pendant. “I told you I wanted that real diamond,” she screamed. “Why didn’t I get it?” she demanded repeatedly as she stomped out of the room, slammed her bedroom door and locked it. Just like the brat she had become.

Thirty minutes later, Alley Cat ceremoniously stomped out of her room and ignoring her parents attempt to console her, she picked up the pendant and tossed it into the blazing fireplace while screaming how much she didn’t want it.

Only an ungrateful, spoiled child would act that way!

Her Christmas list the next five years included the “real” diamond pendant, but both Santa and her folks ignored her demands for it, attempting unsuccessfully to explain that it was much too expensive and too “grown up” for her to have. Alley Cat made them pay for their decision daily those five years.

By the time Allie’s twelfth Christmas rolled around, things had changed in the household. Grandpa had died of a sudden heart attack and Grandma, suffering from terminal cancer, had moved cross-country so her only daughter could care for her during her last days.

Like all Grandmas, she dearly loved her only grandchild and was thrilled to spend some “quality” time with her. The attention and love she showered on Allie appeared to be working. Grandma’s presence somewhat tempered Allie’s outbursts as together they baked Christmas cookies, wrapped gifts, and placed the Christmas decorations in just the right places in the house.

Allie’s folks continually thanked Grandma for the positive influence she was having on Allie and commented how Allie’s behavior was slowly improving.

One afternoon as Allie and Grandma were creating a Christmas wreath for the front door, Grandma asked Allie what she wanted for Christmas. Without hesitating, Allie told her about the diamond pendant she had wished for the past five years, but hadn’t gotten. (She skillfully neglected, however, to tell Grandma what a brat she had been about that pendant or that she had burned up the pendant her folks had tried to give her.)

That evening, after Allie had finally succumbed to the “sleep fairy,” Grandma relaxed with her daughter and son-in-law sipping a cup of hot cocoa topped with mini-marshmallows and munching on freshly baked Christmas cookies.

“I’ve been thinking about Allie’s Christmas gift from me,” she told them, “and I want to run an idea by you. What would you say if I gave her my diamond wedding ring?” she asked.

Before they could answer, Grandma defended her decision to do just that. She explained that because of her cancer she was convinced that this would be her last Christmas alive, that Allie had told her about her desire for a diamond pendant, and that she’d like nothing more than to give the ring to Allie, both as a keepsake heirloom and a reminder of how much Grandma loved her.

“Perhaps, some day,” she said, “Allie will be proud to wear that very diamond as her own wedding ring.”

When her daughter protested that Allie was too young to appreciate it, Grandma confidently replied: “One day she will, especially when she’s aware that this ring was originally my Grandmother’s. It has been in the family for four generations. I’ve never taken this ring off since Grandpa placed it on my finger more than 55 years ago.”

She continued: “This is the only thing of any value that I have to leave Allie after I’m gone and I’m determined to give it to her now so I can enjoy her excitement of receiving it.”

As tears trickled down the cheeks of all three adults, Grandma divulged her plan. “I’m going to take it to a jeweler, have it cleaned and tightened and then buy a fancy ring box for it. I’ll tie a pretty red bow around it and give it to her after she’s opened all other gifts on Christmas morning.”

“Boy will she be surprised!” she told them, “particularly when she opens my card to her. I’m going to include a hand-written history of the ring that she can keep and someday, maybe, give it along with the ring to her own granddaughter.”

Grandma’s eyes sparkled with anticipation! Now it was Grandma who couldn’t wait until Christmas Day! The spring in Grandma’s step suddenly returned. She seemed to have more energy than usual and she was fully invested and infested with the Christmas spirit. And, she constantly fantasized about how much Allie would enjoy her Christmas gift from Grandma.

Somewhat skeptical, Allie’s folks bought into Grandma’s idea. They, too, looked forward to Christmas morning. Their hope was that Grandma’s thoughtful, generous gift would so surprise Allie that she would finally appreciate all that had been done for her and how much she was loved even when she didn’t get her own way.

Christmas morning finally arrived and, as usual, Allie ripped into all of her gifts, carping constantly because they weren’t precisely what she wanted and showing no gratitude whatsoever for any of them.

Grandma sat patiently, waiting the right moment when Allie finally calmed down a bit. When she asked Allie to come sit next to her on the sofa because she had a gift to give her, Allie quickly responded.

Without much fanfare, Grandma explained that she had a special gift she wanted Allie to have and hoped the youngster would treasure it for the rest of her life.

When Grandma handed her the gift, Allie looked the package over carefully and at Grandma’s urging began to open it. She carefully untied the ribbon and slowly opened the box as she expectantly peeked inside.

Grandma wasn’t prepared for the horrendous scowl on Allie’s face and was devastated to tears by Allie’s verbal condemnation of Grandma’s precious gift. “Why did you give me this stupid old ring? I told you I wanted you to give me that diamond pendant I told you about,” Allie screamed as she pitched both the ring and the unread card into the fireplace and stomped off to her room.

Heart-broken beyond measure and with uncontrollable tears streaming from her eyes, Grandma, unable to speak, simply stood up and, amid protests from her daughter and son-in-law, slowly left the room.

Because she was so spoiled and ungrateful, Allie had no awareness of how much Grandma loved her or how much she had hurt Grandma. Her selfishness prevented her from appreciating what had been offered her. She had no clue of how much time and effort Grandma had spent to select and prepare the gift. She had zero understanding of how precious that gift, if accepted, would eventually mean to her.

Because of her “all about me” attitude, Allie callously rejected the most precious Christmas gift her dying Grandma could have possibly given her. What a pity!

What about you? Are you an “Allie”? Have you ever rejected a gift presented to you in pure love? Has your callous indifference ever caused you to throw a gift into the fireplace? Or, put it back in the box and placed it “out of your way” on the top shelf of your closet only to forget it was there until you re-discovered it while looking for something else? Or, have you ever rejected what you considered a useless gift by re-wrapping it and re-gifting it to someone else? (We won’t go there today!)

Perhaps you have been a “Grandma,” enduring heart-breaking physical pain because an “Allie” not only rudely rejected your carefully chosen gift but rejected you and your love as well.

You see, it’s one thing to recognize something as a gift; but it really doesn’t become your gift until you accept it, until you receive it, until you embrace it, until you internalize it, and until you claim it as yours.

Arrogant Allie didn’t do any of these things. Her selfish, “me-first” attitudes (which both she and her parents allowed to develop over the years) hardened her heart to the extent that she rudely rejected both the gift and the giver.

This story about Allie’s rejection of her Grandma’s special Christmas gift, while purely fictional, illustrates the response many have chosen to the offering of God’s gift to all of us on that first Christmas Day.

Because of His love for us, God carefully planned and offered us the most fantastic gift we could ever receive - eternal life with Him in Heaven. He gave us the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with His son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to take away our sin and make us worthy to live forever in God’s new Heaven and Earth which he will re-create for us. All we have to do is repent of our sin and accept His free gift.

What about God’s Christmas gift to you? Have you thrown it into the fire place? Have you rejected it because you believe it is useless to you? Or, have you accepted, received, embraced, internalized, and claimed it as your own?

What you decide to do about God’s Christmas gift to you will have serious eternal consequences for you!

A personal note: This story is my Christmas gift to you. It is given to you in love and was inspired by Dr. Ernest Easley, senior pastor of Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta, GA, during a brief message he delivered following the church’s “Christmas” program on Sunday evening, December 17, 2006.

Merry CHRISTmas!