And the Gift Goes On…..

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

As we walked into the restaurant for our Thanksgiving meal this year, I could feel the tears well up in my eyes and a lump form in my throat. This was no way to spend Thanksgiving, I thought. Memories of past holidays flooded my mind. I wondered what my family in Arizona was doing at that very moment. Surely, they were enjoying lots of wonderful food and great conversation. Then I looked at my precious girls, and for their sake, quickly pulled it together. They were so happy to be celebrating Thanksgiving, whether it was dining at home with family and friends, or out of town with our own family of four.

We decided a few weeks ago that it would be fun to spend the Thanksgiving break in Colorado Springs. I spent some time online searching out activities we could do as a family, and, thanks to my husband’s business travel, we were able to stay at a nice hotel completely free of charge. Thank goodness for hotel points.

The trip was enjoyable and relaxing, just how we wanted it. But I couldn’t help but miss our extended families for those few hours on Thanksgiving Day.

The restaurant was located in a rundown, older part of the city, and was quite crowded this day. The crowd was a little edgier than I’m used to in my little suburban town. I have to admit that I had some pre-conceived ideas of who would be dining out on Thanksgiving Day. And I think I was right. There were some people dining alone, many elderly people joining their families for a meal, and sadly, I saw one gentlemen clearly conducting business rather than taking a day off work.

I noticed my husband seemed a little distracted and kept eyeing the line of people waiting at the door. Little did I know that the thought brewing in his mind would change my whole outlook on this day and snap me out of my melancholy mood. He suggested we donate the cash to cover a meal for one of the families in line at the door.

We all agreed that it was a great idea, and so we called the manager over to tell him what we wanted to do. We left the decision up to the manager as to which family to sponsor, and we asked to remain anonymous. A few minutes later he came back with a receipt to sign and said it had been taken care of. His eyes welled up with tears as he shook my husband’s hand and said words I will never forget. “What you folks did today made me more proud (of people in general) than I have been all year. Thank you so much for your generosity.”

I don’t share that story to get a pat on the back, but just as a reminder of how a simple act of kindness can do more than we will ever know. As a nation we are facing uncertain economic times this holiday season. I know it is difficult to reach into pockets and even find extra money to give to those in need. Those very thoughts ran through my mind when my husband made this suggestion. But I know his idea was one of a supernatural kind. God placed it on his heart and Matthew was obedient to follow God’s prompting.

My prayer for all of us this season is that our focus will not be on how financially thin we are stretched, or what gifts we won’t be giving or receiving this year, but how blessed we are to worship a God who holds us so close to Him and provides for our every need. There are opportunities all around us to show acts of kindness, whether monetary or not. I pray that we will recognize our Father’s gentle nudging and be a source of hope to those who desperately need it.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is one that was released several years ago by Christian artist Sandi Patti. The chorus sums up this idea of giving:

"And the gift goes on. The Father gave the Son. The Son gave the Spirit. The Spirit gives us life. So we can give the Gift of Love."[1]

[1] By Ron Harris and Claire Cloninger (c) 1983 Ron Harris Music/ASCAP