The Secret to Christmas Cards

A few years back I made a startling discovery: the secret to why some people get so many Christmas cards. You know what I’m talking about.  You’ve been to that person’s house where the mantle, the fridge, the counters and columns are all covered with Christmas cards. You think, “Wow, these people are loved, these people have a lot of friends.” And they are and the may, but that’s not entirely why they have so many cards and I’ll tell you why.

My wife’s parents house is this house. I was blown away by it year after year. Hundreds of cards! Everywhere. But my parents house, not so much. Maybe a handful here and there, but not the awe inspiring wallpaper presentation that my wife’s parents have. So why don’t they receive as many cards? The have a lot of friends…

…Hmmm…?…year goes by….hmm?…..another year…..

Then I saw it! It was Thanksgiving weekend at my in-laws, there it was – the stacks of cards that were set to be released across the universe. Hundreds of them, good one’s too. And that’s when it hit me, the more cards you send, the more cards you get!

It’s a spiritual law of sowing and reaping. Proverbs says that “those who give (Christmas cards) to others will themselves be given (Christmas cards) to.” Prov11:25. The content of the parentheses are not actually in the proverbs, I added that. Not only is there a sowing and reaping principle there’s also an Ecclesiastes 3 time/season principle too. You see the sooner you send your cards in the Christmas season the more likely you are to get added to others Christmas card list. And once you’re on, you’re on.

QUANTITY (More cards) + TIME (Sooner you send) = RETURN (more cards you’ll receive)

It really comes down to the basic principal of friendship. As Tim McGraw puts it in Live Like You Were Dying, “I’d be the friend a friend would like to have.”  The key to having friends is being a friend. Giving to others (time, gifts, compassion, shared passions, praying, serving needs) is the fastest way to friendship.

I hope you receive more Christmas cards this year, but more importantly that you simply give more than you ever have.

Many curry favor with a ruler, and everyone is the friend of a man who gives gifts. Prov 19:6

A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Prov 11:25