He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses.
Well, it is December 1st, and this month, above all others, we tend to think about giving. We give each other gifts for Christmas, and I give many birthday gifts as well, since my Mother, brother, and sister all have December birthdays. I love to give presents, and I have to admit, I have always been very spoiled in that I have always gotten a lot of presents as well, even as an adult. My parents always said they would keep buying me lots of Christmas presents until I got married, and then it would be Hubby's job. Now Hubby does a wonderful job of getting me creative and thoughtful gifts. The biggest gift I get, however, is the time I get to spend with the people I love.
However, I know that there are some people who either have no one to give them holiday gifts, or no money to buy gifts for the people they love, and this makes me terribly sad. Ever since I was a child, my parents always encouraged us to donate to toy drives, or adopt families or children from Angel trees, and we would buy gifts. It is a tradition I have carried on as an adult, in whatever way I could, depending on my financial situation. Some years were lean for me, but I always knew there was someone in a tighter spot than me, and I always tried to help out, even in a small way.
What a blessing it is to give to someone in need. This year, I am gathering toy donations to deliver to a large Toys for Tots drive in Pittsburgh, and have tried to enlist the help of family and friends. The response has been overwhelming to me. As I sit here, a portion of my living room is literally piled with toys for me to deliver tomorrow. I will be posting more in detail about this, but again, I have to say what a blessing it has been to see such a spirit of giving in the people I care about.
I challenge you, during this month of holiday cheer, when the stress levels can be high, and spending can be out of sight, find some small way to give to someone in need. It can be a toy donation. It can be warm clothes to someone who has none. It can be a night's work at a food kitchen. It can be your spare change in a Salvation Army kettle. I just encourage you, open yourself to the blessing of giving to someone who is less fortunate than you and see the miracles God can work in your life as a result.
