I was blessed in a very nice way this week and had begun thinking of how I could pass it onto others. I said a quick prayer to ask for guidance on this challenge. I could have written a check to an agency or dropped some items off at a central location but I had an urge to personally know who I could help. The next morning as I was sitting at my computer, I received an e-mail from a long-time friend who is now a teacher in a public school. She sent the e-mail to me to pass along to our Sunday School class since I am the point person. However, as I began to read the plea for help, I knew I had my answer of who I needed to help this Christmas season.
One of my friend's students and her family was the victim of a house fire the same day I was blessed and her e-mail was requesting donations of any kind to help this family. The family was left with very little if anything. I had my direction--and chills.
This evening I had the privilege to take the mother, Sabrina, to Wal-Mart to shop for new clothes and toys for the children. She agreed the children needed the clothing now but that I would bring the toys on Christmas Eve evening so they could wake up to the surprises. Her son had asked her today if he was still going to be able to get a remote control car and she had told him he might have to put that wish off until they were back on their feet. Thanks to God's guidance, he'll be a happy little boy a week from tomorrow.
As we shopped, I learned that Sabrina used to work for a friend of mine in a nursing home so I felt like I had a connection to her. She is now at another nursing home in town.
I write this note hesitantly.....not to take credit for helping someone out in need. As most of you reading this have certainly done this many times over. But I write this to ask you to look around and see where you may be guided this Christmas season. Sometimes God will direct you in a way you had never thought or planned. It's personally rewarding but more rewarding for the recipient.
As Sabrina and I were in the check-out line, I told her how I came to be able to help her. She told me that the day their house burned, her youngest child (who is in my friend's class) was asked to turn in their homework folder and she told my friend she couldn't because it was in the fire. Sabrina told me she knew God would provide for them but didn't know quite how. I think we were equally blessed to get to know each other. My parting words to her were then when she was back on her feet to look for someone to help and pass on the love. She agreed.
Lovely, MCat!
ReplyDeleteWe have our own family tradition that involves something like this, done on Christmas Eve. The current economic conditions had me a little worried about it, but we are all committed to it at the expense of other things.
I, like you, was hesitant at first to talk about it, until it occurred to me that it might give other folks an idea to do the same. We sorta accidentally backed into it one year, and all of us got such a big kick out of it a tradition was born.
We go to Waffle House (on Zelda/Ann) on Christmas Eve after the candlelight service and leave a ginormous (for us) tip, but run out before the server knows. Last year's was a hoot -- we heard her scream. ;-)
Definitely the highlight of our season.
What a wonderful post. I have had the pleasure of doing something like this in the past and there is no feeling like it. Gives the term "pay it forward" a whole new meaning.
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