When my pastor, Chuck Allen, talked about
giving this last Sunday, it struck a chord in me. We'd already decided since
Shadrach had major surgery to the tune of $3600 this month, we would forego
Christmas presents this year.
There are a lot of folks in the same
situation. Well, they don't have Mastiffs with plumbing problems, but many are
out of work. A lot of Christmas trees won't have packages beneath them this
year.
But Pastor Church showed me a way to still
give to everyone. And these gifts have eternal value. I plan to do it every
year from now on. If you want to join me, here's what you can give:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To a opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To a child, a godly example.
To your family, honest, authentic love.
To yourself, the Truth.
To God, obedience.
And to a neighbor, Jesus.
4 comments:
And to your writing buddy, a pat on the head when a job is well done or a kick in the pants when slacking.
This is great, Ane,
We've been so culturally conditioned that we think if we can't wrap it in fancy paper, we're not giving a gift. Traditional Christmas gifts are worldly; the gifts in this list are Godly. Isn't godliness a better way to celebrate Christ's birth?
Another thought: though we celebrate Jesus's arrival at Christmas, He didn't leave when the season ended. He never stops giving His gift of grace, so isn't it fitting that we should continually give our gifts too?
Good food for thought. Thanks for sharing!
You're right, Michelle! snicker
And Yvonne, so true. Jesus continues to give, day after day. We should do the same.
This is beautiful, Ane. Thanks for sharing.
Post a Comment