"Make sandwiches! We're feeding the homeless tomorrow!"
We've done this before during Advent and it is really rewarding. People are genuinely grateful for what they receive. Isn't that interesting? People are genuinely grateful for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a few Christmas cookies. Thing is, you can tell it's not necessarily about the food. More often the comments we get are "Thank you for coming out to see us and thinking about us."
The other thing that strikes me whenever we do this is "We should do this at other times of the year." The poor receive more at Christmas than at other times of the year and Christ didn't limit his generosity to a virgin birth in a stable. He gave his life - the last three years of his life was a continuous ministry. The poor are with us all year and they need us to come out and think about them all year round.
Maybe this year instead of giving more gifts that won't be remembered two days after Christmas, we should make a gift to the poor and needy. For many of us that may mean writing a check to a mission, but if it is possible for you, try going to a homeless shelter or a food bank. Look at the grateful faces who receive your gift. You might just get a gift yourself.
Happy Advent.
CC
No comments:
Post a Comment