"..what if i told you you have the power to give someone hope beyond their wildest dreams? what if i told you it's right there in your hands? it's hard to imagine how something so small can make all the difference, tear down the tallest wall; what if december looked different this year? what if we all just give this Christmas away? if there's love in your heart, don't let it stay there, give this Christmas away and your life will be changed by the gifts you receive when you give this Christmas away. It's feeding the hungry, serving the poor, it's telling the orphan you're not forgotten anymore. it's doing what love does, even when no one's watching you...for God so loved the world that He gave his only Son so we could be His hands, His feet, His love..His love."
whoa. talk about an emotion-stirring song. i was youtubing christmas songs (yes, youtubing is a verb) and came across this particular song by matthew west featuring amy grant called "give this Christmas away". i know i have talked about my love for volunteering and helping others in previous posts, but in the past couple of weeks, i had been wracking my brain to try to figure out some big and well known volunteer opportunity that i could get into.
i know, how vain, right?
yeah, God thought so, too. right after i heard this song, my youngest sister came home from school with two little pieces of paper she got off of the angel tree at her school. there was a 4 year old boy with a request for a toy and an 11 year old girl with a request for shoes. SHOES. an 11 year old worrying about shoes. wow. talk about putting things into perspective. i think when i was 11, i was more worried about what time boy meets world was coming on and how fast i could get my homework done to watch it. not shoes. i had plenty of shoes.
so there was my slap in the face. so i'm praying and thinking on small things that i can do, just little things that would make a world of difference. and a few have been laid on my heart as of late and i do plan to carry them out. maybe you'll see me in the act, maybe you won't. truth is, it won't matter. my ultimate goal is to serve these people around me just as Christ served others. with a selfless disposition and a genuine love pouring out of my heart for them. i am so burdened for those people in my community, down my street, in the schools. and i get discouraged when i think that there is no big thing that i can do for all of them. and i realize now..it's all the little things.
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." [matthew 25:34-40]
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." [matthew 7:12]
"This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." [john 15:12]
so this is my goal for the month of december as well as the next year of 2011...that i will strive to do my best to glorify God through all the little things that i can do for others. to give this Christmas away. to think about someone other than myself. someone who needs a big hug or a small chat. someone whose sole Christmas wish is to have a warm bed or a nice, hot meal. to help a neighbor in their yard or house. to babysit for the mom and dad who need a break. to do something without being asked to. to show a true servant's heart. that's my ultimate goal.
and i challenge you to make it yours.
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