― John Wesley
If we live in America~ No matter how 'poor' we may feel, we're pretty rich.
I love that Thanksgiving & Christmas provide us with a time to consider extra giving.
I have been a recipient of some extra giving myself these past months. Bless those givers! They filled some needs and some wants but they also provided much-needed encouragement through their gifts.
I love to give.
Sometimes I hit the nail on the head & sometimes only my good intentions can be taken away & sometimes I'm not even sure that happens!! I give because God wants me to be generous. I give because it takes my eyes off my situation. I give because I care about people. I give because God prompts me to. Some gifts go abroad and are truly for the 'very poor'. Some gifts advance the Kingdom. Some help local people in need. Some provide encouragement to people we know & love.
We have done our shoeboxes this year. In years past we've done the Toys for Tots, the Angel Tree as well buying gifts for Manna. (Not a 'brag post'. There is JOY in the giving! What better way to express our love for our Savior, who gave His all for us, than to show the Love that Christians are supposed to be characterized by~ than by giving?)
I want to share a few Giving Ideas, a few directions that our giving has gone this year. And I would love to hear your ideas! We can all give something extra this year. Children can & should be encouraged to do so. Adults with little money can. We all can.
1. Local Charity Giving
For the 2nd year in a row we are giving some requested gifts to the Shepherd Godparent Home, here in Bangor, Maine. They are a great ministry & it's wonderful to give to something that you really believe in. The Home is affiliated with our church. A Christmas tree is set up in the lobby. Tags with requested gifts written on them are hung all over the tree. One thing I really like about this is that many of the gifts are very small & inexpensive items, such as batteries. This year I chose two tags and had fun picking out the items. They are wrapped with prayer for the recipients. Every town, every city, every area has a local organization through which you can channel your giving. It's a blessing.
This is a fun one! Sometimes it's fun to do this anonymously. A good time to do this is at the end of the summer. Choose a student in your child's class at school and buy the supply list for your child and for that student as well. We have done that but we have also purchased a 'back to school' bag for a homeschooling mom & her two kids, one who needed some encouragement.
This year I felt led to encourage a family we know. Put together a Christmas Love Box for them. The kids helped me with picking some things out. We bought a small gift for the girl & a small gift for the boy. (Who knew that my kids had never heard of Erector sets!? Needless to say, they were horrified by the name!!! It provided some laughs, I guess!) We bought a family game they can play together, as well as holiday Hershey kisses & m&ms & Jelly Bellies. (Things families can enjoy together!!) We bought socks for the Dad & socks for the Mom & socks for the Boy & a sweet sweater for the Girl. An advent calendar & a gingerbread house to bring Christmas cheer. We will be adding a box of clementines & a small box of moose meat as well.
Are they poor? No. However, I do know that they pinch their pennies. I know that I appreciate what I know about how they live life. They have great kids. My own experiences have taught me that we all need encouragement. Sometimes we need the gift given & sometimes it's an extra but every single one of us wants to know that we are thought of & that we matter & that someone thinks enough of us to give us something. Secondly, I have learned to not question what God prompts. It has been a JOY.
Much like the rest of y'all, our funds are limited. I can't give to everyone I would love to give to. However... a loop hole sometimes presents itself! (Hopefully my friend will not be offended by this!!) My friend gave me a very pretty Christmas wreath. My intention was to hang it on my front door or porch. I know the joy that just having purple-painted doors has given me. A little, fresh beauty goes a long way! However, as yesterday progressed I started to realize that even though I would enjoy the wreath, I have an elderly, lonely neighbor who might enjoy it more. So today, when Kevin gets back from checking his trap line, we will take a jaunt to the neighbor's house with a fresh wreath & some farm-fresh eggs & a few minutes to talk & hopefully her day will be brighter for it.
~This is not something we did this year, but another great idea that involves an investment of time & money is to take a child shopping, letting them pick out presents for their siblings & parents, whatever is applicable. Or provide a craft for the child to make for a loved one. Spend time with them, creating. Maybe purchase a dress or an outfit to be worn at the 'Winter Concert' that the child needs to attend for school. I think this is especially important if this is a child of a single parent. You will bless the child and you will bless the parent and most likely you will be the most blessed of all!
5. Acts of Service
It probably goes without saying. I enjoy purchasing physical items for people. However, Thanksgiving & Christmas time provide an excuse for us to step up acts of service. Offer to babysit for a couple so that they can go Christmas shopping or so that they can have a date night during a time period that is so chaotic and busy. If you really like doing gingerbread houses, (that would be me!) offer to do them with kids who may not regularly have that tradition.
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
