Let me paint a picture for you. Imagine it is Christmas Eve. You and your family are sitting around the tree in your matching Christmas jammies, periodically gazing over at the fireplace to take in its’ beauty. You’re drinking hot chocolate with the little marshmallows floating on top. The “Christmas Story” movie is playing on the tv and you all laugh when Ralphie shoots his eye out with his Red Rider BB gun, just like everyone told him he would. Then you help your children bake sugar cookies and leave them out for Santa with a cold glass of milk. They include a note telling him how good they’ve been this year. You tuck them each into their own bed and read them “The Night Before Christmas” before kissing them goodnight and telling them you love them, and most importantly God loves them too. The next morning they wake up as soon as the sun is up, and run out of their room in their fuzzy reindeer slippers to see what Santa left under the tree. There is a massive mountain of presents wrapped in bows and ribbons. The rest of the morning is spent opening extravagant gifts and the latest toys, thanking and loving one another, and basking in the happiness of this wonderful holiday.
Now let me paint a different picture. It’s still Christmas Eve. A family bundles under as many old blankets as they can because they couldn’t afford to pay their electric bill, so there is no heat in their one bedroom apartment. They drink cold milk that their local church brought over for them. They can’t afford to leave anything out for Santa because unfortunately that would be wasting. They talk about past Christmas’s when times were better and both parents had jobs. They promise their children they will get back on their feet, it just takes time and God will take care of them. They tuck their 3 children into one bed together and all say a prayer that Santa won’t forget them this year. Mom and Dad go to bed on the couch together and cry themselves to sleep wishing they could give their children more. The kids wake up the next morning and walk out to the living room in their socks that have holes in each toe. There are a couple of gifts wrapped in paper grocery bags under a poinsettia plant because they couldn’t afford a tree. Although they have no idea that everything they got is used and from donations, they are just as happy as any other kid to realize that Santa did not forget them. God does take care of them just as their parents promised.
Which one of those pictures seems more familiar to you? I know for me, it’s the first one. I’m not painting these pictures to make you feel bad or guilty. Please don’t think that’s my intention. What I am hoping to do is inspire you. The reality is, families like this are all around our communities. They are in our backyard and we can help them. Now is the perfect time to teach your children what Christmas is all about.
Let’s have a Christmas cleaning! We all know what a Spring cleaning is. This is similar but much better! Those of us that are living in the first picture I painted and are able to buy our children Christmas gifts this year need to take the next week or two (we have plenty of time!) and clean out our children’s closets, toy boxes, and playrooms. Have your children help you! Tell them that everything they give up or have grown out of is going to go to another family in need for Christmas. If they protest, tell them Santa loves a cheerful giver (and so does God!) and that if they don’t make room for their new Christmas gifts, they may not get any. Hey, sometimes we have to resort to threats. There’s no judgement, it’s for a good cause in this case.
Then take all of your old stuff down to the local shelter or church to give away. I can help you find somewhere to donate if you need. This doesn't just apply to children's toys. We adults need to clean out our stuff too! People ‘Tis the season! Let’s start a Christmas cleaning movement and help families everywhere enjoy their holiday a little bit more. Amen?
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” -Luke 6:38 NIV
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