Every year, the benevolence foundation in our community hosts a big fundraiser and then uses the proceeds to lend a hand to those who are unable to care for themselves - children, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly. This plays out in a variety of ways.
For Christmas, the foundation taps volunteers for shopping in order to provide gifts for parents to present to their children. I was asked to help this year since I've gotten involved in the women's club, and was assigned seven-year-old Oliviah. With no grandchildren to spoil yet, I had a fun time rounding up clothes and toys for her. I got it all wrapped so I could deliver my bag of gifts to the coordinator in advance of them being dropped off with the mother. Oh what fun, y'all.
Then a week later, I picked a 7 and 8-year-old girl from our church's angel tree. I once again enjoyed the opportunity to play Santa Claus for the younger set. So I made a trip into town to do some more shopping, including the purchase of a couple extra rolls of wrapping paper, to get these little ladies all set with gifts for Christmas. After wrangling rolls of decorative paper, ribbon and tape to wrap 40 boxes, I THOUGHT I had finished my seasonal volunteer projects.
Lo and behold, I got a call to ask if I'd be able to donate new tennis shoes for two local kiddos in need. So I toodled into town once again to a sporting goods store to buy some sweet kicks I think they'll like. I got their shoe boxes looking festive as you can see below. All that leaves is for me to drop them off with my friend spearheading the shoe drive through our women's Bible study group. And that, folks, wraps up my Christmas philanthropy. I praise God for His reminder that it's always better to give than receive this holiday season when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope you're all finding ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus this Christmas in your community, to bless others as God has blessed you!
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35 (NIV)
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16 (ESV)
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed. Proverbs 19:17 (ESV)
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