Our church community is a place where bright minds think alike. Along with shopping for our loved ones, everyone decided the church would do something as a group. We’d adopt a family for the holidays—a delightful idea for another way to give at this lovely time of year.
The chosen recipient is a lovely young mom currently overwhelmed by the needs of two small children. Christmas has become so expensive. What does one do when paychecks barely cover the necessities, let alone presents under the tree?
When asked if we could adopt her family, this woman had an immediate answer. She didn’t want help for herself. In far-away Oklahoma, Her sister was in a far worse predicament.
Her sister, also a young mom, had just escaped an abusive relationship. She had a new place to live, but that had taken all her available funds. Someone had given her a small refrigerator, but other than that, she was starting from scratch with two pre-teen boys. Would we please help her sister?
And so, Operation Amazon is in full swing. Our friend made a list of everything her sister would need and listed the items on Amazon. It will be up to us to shop for those items, which will soon be delivered. From toys to soup bowls, this young mom who lives halfway across the country and her two sons will have a peaceful Christmas thanks to strangers they’ve never met. That is the true spirit of Christmas at work.
At City Hall, there is a Giving Tree decorated with personal ornaments. Each ornament has information about a Senior Citizen who won’t have Christmas any other way. Yesterday, we stopped by to pick ours but the tree had already been picked bare. I love our small town.
Whatever you do today, find a way to make Christmas a little brighter for someone you don’t know. Random Acts of Kindness are a gift to the recipient, but also the giver. Call your local church or Senior Center to find out how you can help. It will look a lot more like Christmas in your world.
More tomorrow.