A Christmas Lesson

So, here we are a week before Christmas and I still have things to do in preparation for our celebration next week. My plan for this Christmas season was to have everything done early. Christmas cards would be sent out at the beginning of December, shopping done before Thanksgiving, all wrapping and baking would be done the first week of December as well. Once all of this was done, it would allow my family to just sit, relax, and enjoy our "holiday". The funny thing is when I make a plan, God usually doesn't let it happen, so that he can show me the plan that he has for me. His plan also has a lesson, and this time was no different.

First, let me tell you that around Thanksgiving I started reading "Radical" by David Platt with my Life2Life group. If you want to be challenged and kicked in the rear end about how you are serving God, then this is the book for you. If not, then stay far, far away from this book, because it will change your life in a terrible way! (I say that with a lot of sarcasm! Seriously, after the Bible this is a must read for believers today.)

Our December started off with an outreach event called LoveGave Food. Our church partnered with 2 other churches here in Charleston and in Madison, MS to raise money to feed kids over Christmas Break. We were at 2 Walmart Supercenters for 58 hours straight asking for donations. We were also online with a live feed from both locations. Our goal was to feed 400 kids. We needed to raise $40,000. Well, God had other things in mind and he allowed us to raise $58,000!! It was crazy, and exhausting! We will deliver the food personally to the families twice to the designated families as Christmas Break approached.

The week after LoveGave, I got a 6:30 am phone call that my aunt who was battling cancer had passed away. All that knew my Aunt Sharon, knew that she was actively involved in sports all her life. In fact she was still playing volleyball in the Senior Olympics and traveling all over the country when she was diagnosed. She was a coach and a fierce competitor. She was at times a second mom to me, and growing up my family's backyard backed up to hers. I spent just as much time at her house sometimes as I did my own. She was well loved and was always quick to help out those who needed it. In my last conversation with her she told me that she wanted to be more generous and thoughtful. The funny thing is that these are two words that already described her. And because of that there was a 3 1/2 hour wait to see her at the funeral home. That whole weekend was overwhelming and surreal for my whole family, but it left my thinking about just how generous and thoughtful I am in my own life.

We got back to start preparing to make deliveries to the families that were to benefit from LoveGave Food. As we started making those deliveries and hearing stories of friends and their deliveries, we realized that this was much bigger than we thought. We quickly found out that we were bringing food to families in very impoverished and sometimes bad neighborhoods. We were taking food to families, who in some cases, only had a roof over their heads. Some had no furniture, no toys, no blankets, no food. No luxuries that I take for granted everyday. These families are in dire need of physical nourishment and essentials. I have been thinking about these families, and these stories, since I have seen and heard where/what they live in. I have literally been stopped-short by their lack, and embarrassed by my overabundance of things just sitting around my house. At the request of a friend I have been cleaning out my closets and garage and finding things to pass to one family who quite literally had nothing.

So, my Christmas has not been perfect and Christmas card like. It has gone nowhere near according to plan. I have been humbled and broken by the experiences that my family has gone through in the past 3 weeks. But because of this month God has taught me some important lessons. And I think those lessons are as follows:
* Life is short, so make sure you love on others with the same kind of love that He has shown us. Whether that be your dear family, your neighbor or a family in another part of town, Jesus has asked us to simply give and show love. Not just at Christmas, but all year long.
* God has not called us to be comfortable in our own houses while ignoring the needs of those around us. He has given us things, like houses, clothes, food, furniture and extra money to be able to bless those around us for His Glory.

Its so cliche, but Christmas is not about presents, cookies, perfect family dinners or even Christmas Cards. Are those things bad? No, not at all. But when you get right down to it, Christmas is about love. The love that God showed for us by sending His one and only Son to earth as a baby. He sent his Son to save us from our sin and give us the chance to have eternal life and be with God forever. Thank you God for showing me love. I pray that I can show your love to others in a way that glorifies you!