Make Room For Another Kind Of Giving

.In the spirit of Christmas, I sat down to watch one of my all-time favorite movie series, Home Alone, starring Macaulay Culkin.

Kevin McCallister, often pegged as the troublemaker, is accidentally left behind while the rest of his large family goes on vacation. And when he and a pair of thieves unexpectedly cross paths, he relies on his clever antics to outsmart them until reuniting with his family.

If I were paying attention, I’d say I watch Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York every holiday season (anytime during the year, if I’m being honest). But it’s not just the laughs in this heartfelt comedy that get me to watch the series time and time again. It’s the messages I get from it, too.

We all make mistakes. But no matter what you’ve done, there’s always time to do good. 

That’s the moral of the story from my point of view.

But after watching it again, this time, I picked up on another message that I don’t think I ever realized before…

If you’ve never seen Home Alone but plan to watch it, skip down four paragraphs and continue reading, so I don’t ruin it for you…

In the movie, Kevin’s neighbor was a pretty scary old man, who seemed to be a pretty mean recluse. But when Kevin finally spoke to the man at church one day, he found him to be very kind.

The man told Kevin that he and his son had gotten into an argument years ago and hadn’t spoken ever since. Unfortunately, going to church was now the only way he could see his granddaughter. 

But young Kevin had wise advice for the older man. He suggested that he pick up the phone and call his son to make amends. And at the end of the movie, it looks like Kevin’s advice worked, because the man, his son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter embraced, and they all walked inside to enjoy Christmas Day… together as a family.

Watching this scene revealed that there’s another kind of giving some of us need to make room in our hearts for this season: Forgiving .

In the Old Testament, we find that there were a lot of sacrifices God’s people made as atonement for their sins (Numbers 15:28). They were a way of reestablishing their relationship with God. But in the New Testament, Jesus’ birth not only represents salvation. It also represents renewal, gift-giving, hope, peace, love and forgiveness—all things this season should represent. 

Is there someone you love whom you wish you could start anew with? Maybe you’ve given up on them… Maybe you’re tired of the turmoil between you… Or maybe your hurt has stirred up anger and resentment… Well, there’s good news: There is no better season to change all of that than this one.

Life is short. And in Jesus’ short time on earth, He spent a lot of time forgiving. So, while we search for things we can give others, let’s also search our hearts to forgive others, too (Mark 11:25; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).

With gratitude,

Melody Stampley

Managing Editor

AUTHOR BIO 

Melody is the founder of financial coaching business Centsible Finance LLC, which publishes the free e-letter Making Cents. She earned a bachelor’s in public relations from the University of Florida in 2014, and a master’s in global strategic communications from Florida International University in 2017; but she discovered her passion in personal finance and writing, as well as a closer relationship with the Lord, after joining a Compass – finances God’s way study in 2020. She now serves as a volunteer on the Compass Florida board, is the editor for the Compass blog, and a facilitator and trainer for financial discipleship studies. Melody and her husband, Nate, live in South Florida.