Image Map

"Jesus Gifts"



I know, I know.  I promise, I'm not rushing Christmas.  I plan to fully enjoy Thanksgiving, eat way too much and feel remorse for all the poor turkeys that are consumed.  BUT, I know many of you will start your Christmas shopping before the dishes are even dry from Thanksgiving dinner so I wanted to put a little bug in your ear.  But first, let me tell you a short story.

It's no secret I grew up financially poor.  I say financially poor because inside I was rich with love from a mom who never seemed to skip a beat.  But at Christmas time, my sisters and I knew not to expect too much because money was always tight.  In fact, it was more than tight.  It was more like Aretha Franklin squeezed into Heidi Klum's skinny jeans.  But a strange thing always seemed to happen on Christmas morning.  We got most anything our little Barbie lovin' hearts desired.  One year we even got an Atari which made us wonder if mom had taken up bank robbing on the side.

Another strange thing about Christmas was the writing on the gift tags.  A few would read "From: Santa" and a few would read "Love, Mom."  But a large majority of our gifts would say "From: Jesus."

I always wondered (particularly after I was rudely informed of the Santa scam at the ripe age of 5) why on Earth my mom would put "From: Jesus."  Did she really expect us to believe that Jesus wrapped that scantily clothed Malibu Barbie and put her under our tree? The answer is yes, she did.  She would sell out Santa in a heartbeat but anytime we questioned her on who the "Jesus gifts" were really from, she would confidently and convincingly insist that "They are from Jesus!"

Because they were.  As an adult, I know those gifts were there only by the grace of God.

God's grace is so abundant at Christmas time and who better to experience it first hand than an innocent child.  I know many of you are kind, generous folk who would love nothing more than to be someone's angel this year.  Some of you may already have a giving plan in place but if not, please consider one of these organizations to partner with. 


Toys for Tots by the US Marine Corps

Operation Smile Greeting Cards

Clark's Christmas Kids benefiting Foster Children
JCPenny and Salvation Army-Adopt a local angel -Deadline to adopt is December 10
Angel Tree


Make-a-Wish and Macy's team up for Fundraising! All you have to do is write a letter to Santa.
These are just a few ideas for Christmas giving.  Also, remember to use your local resources like teachers and clergy.  They know first hand which kids really need an angel and can partner with you on sponsoring a local family.  Let every child experience the love of Christmas through the little miracle of "Jesus gifts!" 




3 comments:

  1. love your post. the real meaning of christmas can get lost...

    xo
    ~molly

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Georgia Natural Gas has sponsored many families over the years through the Salvation Army Adopt a Family program. Our company has usually been able to get specific information about the family in order to feel reassured that your donation is indeed going to a real family. I recall getting a specific wish list of gifts from the family, and feeling good that I had shared in the real meaning of Christmas.
    tinyurl.com/salavationarmy-adoptafamily



    Love,
    Daniel

    ReplyDelete