Giving...

I love giving.

I love helping.

I love sacrificing my time, talents, _______(fill in the blank) in order to make someones day.

Do I do this all the time?

No.

Do I try really hard to do this all year?

Yes.

Does it happen?

No. (I tend to blame the three kids, and husband...which is not a good enough excuse if you ask me)

What is about the Christmas season that really brings out the need to help others?
Is it the churches we go to, whispering in our ears that this is the season for giving?
Is it the homes we were raised in, that taught us, "tis better to give than to receive"?
Is it the realization that we are so abundantly blessed, so much so, that probably all of us can at least give something this Christmas season? Even if it's just our time!
Is it the fact that we know we are all afflicted with "stuff-itis" (me included) that we in fact NEED nothing this Christmas?

Whatever it is...it's true, this is the season for giving. And as I said before I LOVE it.

I love reading the stories, like this one of the people paying off the Christmas layaways at K-mart.

How awesome would it be to walk up to pay on your account and realize it has been COMPLETELY paid off. No strings attached! What a blessing it must be to know that it is one less thing that family has to worry about this Christmas!

I don't know all the science-y stuff behind it, but I know there is some kind of "feel good chemical" that is released into our brain when we do something for someone...
Whether it is something big like paying off a layaway account, or something small like taking a plate of cookies to a hospital waiting room...
Something about it just makes us feel good.

And I don't know about you....but I don't EVER want to lose that feeling.

And it's a feeling that I want to bottle up and pass on to my kids.
I don't want them to come down with "stuff-itis" too...although I know it is a contagious disease...an epidemic...that has infiltrated our society.

I am definitely one of those people with a servant's heart, and I want to help EVERYONE...I see the story about a woman who was killed in a house fire and I want to find out where her family is and what they need...
I hear about a mother who was killed in a car accident and I want to provide a Christmas for the kids that will take their pain away...
I hear about a family who's dad was injured and is now back in the hospital and I want to find out if a hot meal or gift card to a restaurant would ease some of the burden...

It's just the way I am wired...

I just wish I could help everyone.

But you know what? I can't.

But if I can make a difference in ONE person's life.
If I can just make ONE person's day.
If I can bring a smile to ONE person's face.
I will feel like I have made a difference.

And I would be remiss to leave out perhaps the most important reason why I feel like I need to do this.

Because I know it is what He would do.
And if anything, that little bottled up feeling that I want to pass on to my kids is wrapped in the most precious paper of all.
His love.
The love of Jesus Christ.

Why do I want to do all these things?

Because I have a Savior who has done so much for me...and there is no amount of giving that will ever measure up.
But I feel like the best thing I can do is to spread the word of His love.
To be the hands and feet of Jesus.

So this Christmas, I pray that my kids will take away more than just the presents under the tree...that they will see the love that their Father has for them and spread it around to all those who need it.

I love this song by Matthew West, I think it sums it up... Give This Christmas Away