Just had the BEST Christmas gift ever!! My coworker/friend, Mary Beth, and I just dropped off Christmas for a needy family. If everyone could have seen those kids' faces, more people would help others! They haven't even seen the gifts (their Mom made them stay in the other room), but they were jumping up and down with joy!! And they got even more excited that we brought dinner! A true blessing! Many people helped make this special Christmas happen. I was just lucky enough to have the privilege to deliver it all :) I've already received all i need for Christmas in seeing the happiness of those kids and their Mom! Merry Christmas everyone!
The wonderful guidance department at Riverside High provided Christmas for the kids, and Leigh and I made sure that they all had the same number of presents to open - TWELVE each! We got all the kids stockings, and Cynthia herself had a stocking and presents to open. She was completely overwhelmed with the numerous gift cards that she received. You could see the relief on her face.
I talked to Cynthia around 1:00 on Christmas Day, and they were all thrilled with their gifts. God has truly blessed this family, but we have been blessed, too. Our whole experience with Cynthia has opened my eyes to how we are called to continually be servants to the needy. Being a servant is a long-term commitment - maybe it's to one family, maybe it's continual service to lots of different people and organizations. Jesus didn't forgive our sins and walk away from us. Where would we be if Jesus wasn't there for us on a continuing basis - no prayers? No family of faith? No Scripture? I'd guess that we would feel as if he hadn't died for us on the cross in the first place. So why would we do the same to our needy brothers and sisters? And even worse - we do it in the NAME OF JESUS. We help in the name of Jesus...and then leave....in the name of Jesus. That just gives me a guilty feeling all the way down to my very core. Do you feel it, too?
When we dropped off the presents, we also found out that December 27 was the youngest boy's 9th birthday. So obviously, Leigh and I made arrangements to get him a cake and some birthday presents. And again, joy beyond belief. For him and us.
I have some pictures of the kids, but I don't think it's appropriate to post them on my blog, so here's what I can do: a shot of the back of my car pre-wrapping and one pic of them wrapped and bagged up, ready to go. Of course, the pictures don't fully do it justice. Just so you know, the entire back (3rd row folded down) of my car was crammed, wall to wall, with presents. Nothin' else fittin', ok?
I hope I don't come across self-righteous and preachy, because this Christmas experience with Cynthia humbled me more than you can imagine. That being said, the next time you celebrate a major holiday with your family, please try to take some time out of your busy schedule and help someone in need. There are families out there who do not have the ability to celebrate a birthday with even a single mini-cupcake or to put a pack of gum in a stocking, yet we stuff ourselves to the gills with presents, cake, macaroni and cheese, and time spent on our mamas' couches. And guess what? Even though I spent lots of time working on Cynthia's family's Christmas and birthday, I still stuffed myself and laid around on my mama's couch. A few times. And my own child still managed to receive ten baby dolls for Christmas. So maybe that old adage is true - the more you give, the more you receive? I mean, I would have liked to have received some winning numbers on the scratch-off lottery tickets I put in Russell's stocking, but the joy on Emma's face over her ten baby dolls will certainly suffice.
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