You people blow my mind! Every year we give you opportunities to share the love of Jesus at Christmas. This year once again we were asked by our Green Local schools to support their program that gets gifts for local families. They gave us 47 tags for gifts-this was more than ever before! They said other churches have dropped out or taken less so the need was there. I marveled as the tags were taken every Sunday.
Then today (Dec. 7) Kathy and I counted up all the gifts and they were all there! I was amazed at the size of the gifts (like two Barbie houses!) and the loving way many were beautifully wrapped (or gift bagged-that counts too ;) But it was the sheer number of gifts that blew me away (photo is the back of my van full of your gifts!). When I went in to drop the gifts off I asked the folks at the school how it was going. They said this was the biggest year yet-around 400 gifts were requested and they were coming in. They were so glad our church stepped up so generously and said a BIG THANK YOU!
But there is more-we also have big boxes that are filling up
with gifts for LOVE IS A VERB (Cara B’s Christmas morning service/outreach
opportunity) and the New Destiny Treatment Center Christmas Shoppe. Then I saw
even the sign up for bell ringing for the Salvation Army is full! Not to
mention other ways people have stepped up to help individuals in need
personally that I’ve been privy to. All of this just makes me want to say THANK
YOU and I’m just SO PROUD of the way so many of you have been SO FAITHFUL to
God prompting you to give.
Christmas is easily and often hijacked as a consumer event
to get us stuff we and our families want. This is a sad view of what this Holy
day can be. You, on the other hand, by giving to people you don’t even know,
show the love of Jesus who came to give himself for all. This is the essence of
Christmas-the generosity of God, expressed by the loving gift of Jesus for
anyone who will receive Him.
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