The Season of Giving

As we draw in the close of the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s easy to get sucked into the business of the Christmas season. With the advent calendars, Hallmark movie countdown to Christmas and our own traditions, we tend to forget some of the most important factors. During this time, we focus on ourselves and what we want and how we want to spend our holiday rather than how we get to spend out holiday and what we are blessed to receive from others. This season I encourage each of you to consider my next few words and think about how you can bless others.

I know you’ve each heard it a million times and especially during this time of year you’ll probably hear it some more but I want to motivate my friends and family to seriously consider the needs of others. You never truly know what the person in line in front of you at the grocery store is going through, be patient when it takes a few extra minutes for them to use different types of payment methods for their groceries. You might think you’re in a rush and it’s inconvenient because you only needed one item but maybe they are scraping pennies together to provide a nice meal for their family. Or an example personal to my family, don’t get huffy that a restaurant isn’t open on Thanksgiving or Christmas because you can’t get fresh bagels for your family party. We have a family too and neither of my parents have had a day off since we opened. I’m thankful for the opportunity to have a family business and work alongside my siblings and parents but it really is difficult and some people don’t think to consider that restaurant workers have families too. Same goes for retail workers. Bless those Black Friday workers and anyone working long hours during the holidays. People, please be patient.

Around the closing of the year there is a lot of nudging to give to the homeless and the poor and support a child on an angel tree. While these are all excellent ways to give and support others, it should be understood that there’s more ways to give than just financially. You can give to others by giving your time, donating toys your children no longer use, and being willing to lift others up in prayer. You don’t have to know someone struggling to pray for them but the holidays can be especially hard for families who struggle to provide for their children.

I remind each of you to be sympathetic and extend love to the families who are grieving. Those who have lost a loved one, a son or daughter, parent, grandparent, sibling, cousin. Those who are trying to make the best of these special days while missing a piece of their family. Those who are celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years for the first time without their loved one. Lift these families up in prayer and don’t let them forget that you are always there to help with any of their needs. Just be there.

A cheap way to spread some little bits of joy and simple way to give is by holding doors, smiling at strangers and all of those other acts of kindness we’ve been taught since we were young. After all, giving is far better than receiving and far more rewarding in the long run. You might spend $100 and you might spend $0 but there will never be a time where putting a smile on someone else’s face isn’t worth it. Your sacrifices, no matter how big or small, could change the life of someone else.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (Proverbs 11:25 NIV).