Giving

Last week, after my last post, I pulled out the World Vision Catalog that has been sitting on my desk for.. what seems like months, but is probably only 1. I reminded each child that we were not going to be celebrating Christmas like we have before. I encouraged each one to pick out gifts for another child, somewhere across the world, who goes without most everything that our family has. Some kids live in huts, some work all day for pennies. Some are orphaned or are living with sick and dying family members, maybe their mother or their little brother. My 3 oldest boys looked through the catalog for a few minutes and then they started calling out things they wanted to get for other kids. "Soccer balls so they can have fun!" "Clean water, mom. That's what I want to give" It was really moving to hear my children, who are like so many of us and think about themselves 99% of the time, choosing to give instead of have more.

Our little order form is filled out and waiting for me to glean the money from savings accounts and pay checks over the next weeks. My hope burgeoned that this year, we would be the light to someone else, showing them who Messiah is by giving instead of asking, yet again, for more. I slipped the form under my laptop, waiting for a money order or a moment to order online. I was so excited to have my children on board with refocusing our holiday!

And then the little whispers of doubt started to creep in..... Am I cheating my kids? Will they forgive me when Christmas comes without presents for them? Should I get them one thing? Should I only take the first step this year, phasing out Christmas in exchange for Hanukkah? I didn't see how I could honor God by giving to His son, and still pursue all the worldy practices of this holiday.

And then an answer to the ache in my heart, my friend shared a post from another family that has been doing the same thing, giving instead of getting, for 10 years now! I cried for quite a while after reading this post. It was a comfort and an affirmation to me.

As we approach Hanukkah, I prepare myself for some big teaching moments. I don't plan to give our children lavish gifts each day of the feast, but instead, we will have lessons centered on a theme for the day. Some days, they will receive a gift; other days, they will give a gift or perform an act of charity. Keep praying for us, that each one of us in our family will be transformed into Messiah's image during this season.