Giving

There are so many things I want to teach my sons, but I think one of the things at the very top of that list is that life is so much bigger than just 'me'.  For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the idea that each and every one of us has our own story, filled with different characters, different experiences, and different goals .  I used to look out of the backseat of my Dad's van after school and wonder who all these people were, where they were going, if they were happy, if they were loved.

I used to wonder, and I still do, if they know how very loved they are.  If those strangers have ever heard that they have a Creator who is utterly fascinated by the beauty of their being.    It's so easy to walk around, caught up in the daily dirt of my own life, my own silly issues, and forget this beautiful truth. 

Christmas brings this to light more than most other times of the year - we get out the tree, make our shopping lists, and we hum Christmas Carols as we shoulder through the hordes at the Mall, but how do we honor our Savior?  I want my boys to see this season as the time of giving, and not in the 'presents' way. There is more, there should be more.

It can be hard though, you know?  We aren't wealthy, I have no particular skill set that will benefit others, and besides that, I'm shy! I can hardly even TALK to strangers, how can I possibly help people I don't know?  With our mail yesterday I was reminded of how easy it can be.  We sponsor a little boy through Compassion International, and up until yesterday we had only ever received drawings from him because he was too young to write.  Yesterday we received the first letter penned by his little hand.

"Thank you for letting me go to school.  I love you Mr. and Mrs. Mattehew"

I can't even tell you how much that last sentence means to me.  We are trying to strike a balance here, between what we can do and what we can give, not just to show our sons that Christmas is about real giving, but to remind ourselves as well, and two sentences from a little boy a world away made this season more real to me than the trees, carols, and cookies ever could.  

Christmas is about so much more.