Christmas is a wonderful time a year. A busy, busy time. A time that you have to work hard not to stretch yourself and say yes to everything. It is easy to want to fill the calendar with many wonderful traditions and get togethers. Moms are tired and stressed. Kids are thinking about all the gifts they hope to receive. Parents stress how they will pay for it.
This time of year can easily lose the joy and purpose of the season. There is nothing wrong with celebrating, giving gifts and having lots of fun. This is my favorite time of year! It is a time of year we talk about love and giving.
What kinds of things can we do to serve others? What can we do to spread love and light? We need to be the light in a dark world. I know that life is tough for so many financially right now. The economy is uncertain…everything is uncertain. But one thing still stands true…we need to love, serve, give to others. Some may not be able to give much…it is more about the attitude of the heart and it is a great way to teach our children about serving others.
Here are some ways that we can make a difference this Christmas season:
Adopt a family in need ~ Pray that the Lord would show you a family in your community that needs help this year. Take them a nice meal. Buy items that are needed. Give them, especially the children, a special Christmas gift. Find out what needs they have… firewood, doctor bill overdue, having a hard time buying groceries, clothing? Consider asking another family, church or organization to help make this Christmas a special time for this family.
Help the homeless ~ It is honestly difficult to know if they people standing on the side of the road asking for help need it or not. It is hard not to wonder. But it is not my job to judge and say just go get a job. I don’t know their situation or story. But I do know that it is possible to bring a little light to their day. So, when you drive by, consider giving them a gift card to the local fast food restaurant, along with a track or Bible and a goodie bag of toiletries and snacks. Or pick up a meal and a nice cup of coffee and give it to them. Smile and tell them that God loves them.
Donate to a food panty or soup kitchen ~ When you do your grocery shopping, buy extra that you can donate to a local food panty or soup kitchen. Volunteer to serve for a few hours with your family.
Buy a meal for the person behind you in line ~ A simple way to spread some Christmas cheer is to buy the person’s meal behind you in line when you are going through a drive thru. Or if you are in a restaurant, pray and look around for someone that the Lord wants you to help. Tell the waitress you want to anonymously pay for their bill. You never know what this act of love will do for a person and perhaps they will pay it forward.
Pray for, send cards, meals, offer to do some work for widows/widowers ~
We are commanded to care for the widows and orphans. But do we take the seriously? I became much more aware of the gravity of this when my mom became a widow years ago. I realized how big a change takes place and how little churches and others do in our current time to care for those so wounded and vulnerable. Look around your church and community and take time to minister to these who are hurting and so lonely.
Help an older person or someone home bound, as well as their caregivers ~ Know someone who can’t get out much or it is very difficult for them to do things? Offer to help clean their house, yard, take them Christmas or grocery shopping. If they aren’t able to go out, get their list and do it for them. Take time to visit with them and lift their spirits. Also… do they have a family member who is caregiving for them? I am a caregiver recently for my precious mom. Life has changed so much. It has also opened my eyes to how difficult this is and lonely. Friends in our community and from church sent many meals in the early days and some still send food or snacks regularly. Let me just tell you how helpful it truly is and how it warms my heart. Caregiving is exhausting and not having to think about a meal is so helpful. Offer to sit a few hours if you have time and are comfortable. It helps the caregiver to get away for a few hours, go take a nap or a bath or run errands they haven’t been able to. You honestly have no idea ho much this will encourage them and help them to be refreshed.
Surprise others with Mystery Gifts ~Know of someone who is depressed, overwhelmed and just needs a little encouragement. Or it can be for a family member, neighbor, mail carrier, UPS driver…there are lots of possibilities. Bake some goodies, get little thing they might like, buy a gift card to a favorite restaurant. For you delivery drivers, it’s neat to set out a basket of goodies and water with a sign thanking them and telling them to get a snack. You never know how a little act of love will brighten someone’s day?
Another way to make a difference this Christmas and always is to support some of these ministries:
Samaritan’s Purse
Share the true meaning of Christmas and love by helping this organization. You can donate to their ministry or you can purchase items to be gifted around the world. This is such a great ministry and is always a first responder to tragedy and problems all over the world.
Browse the Catalog with your family. Bless a family this year by choosing some of the gifts wrapped with hope.
Wonder all the ways you can get involved? Learn more about what they need here or donate through the catalog.
Operation Christmas Child
A ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, they have delivered over 1 million shoeboxes and changed lives. I met Alex, one of those changed lives, at the Allume Conference this fall. You can read more about it here.
Did you know that it is NOT too late to build a shoebox? You can build one online at our community page!! This is a great activity to do with your children over Christmas to teach them about giving to others.
Compassion International
Compassion International is a ministry that is changing lives by Sponsoring a Child, but they do much more than that. They have Survival Programs for Moms and Babies, Leader Development Programs and work to meet critical needs.
Shop the catalog to make a difference.
Sole Hope
Did you know that a pair of shoes can change a life and you can use a pair of jeans to do that?
I first heard about this ministry {whose headquarters in not far from where I live} at a conference in 2014. I didn’t attend the shoe cutting party…there were so many wonderful opportunities that I wish I could have attended them all.
This ministry has a passion for spreading hope by creating healthier lives by providing shoes and medical help for the foot diseases they suffer from. You can help by cutting the shoes and preparing them to be sent to shoemakers {this helps to create jobs}. They will be finished and sent to the children, along with medical help and training.
A neat way to get involved is to host a shoe cutting party.
How do you make a difference in someone’s life and help teach your children about giving?
