As this month of Thanksgiving winds to a close, and we head into the Christmas season (with all its joys and stress and celebration and depression, depending on who you are)… I’ve had it on my heart to share a reminder of what really matters.
You see, most of us have a tendency to get completely side-tracked this time of year. Some of us (like me) are working overtime to meet deadlines at work and gather money for gifts I want to give. Others are stressed out by a list of names and pressure to buy something for each one. Others are resentful of the merchandising of the season…some even allowing themselves to get bitter over it. Still others get depressed because of lost love ones and broken relationships.
So what if today was March? Or July? Do we not still have the same things to be thankful for? The sun? Fresh air? Warmth in our homes? The computer we’re using right now?
Jesus?
I am part of the Compassion Bloggers, and we’ve been given an assignment. I think it’s timely, in a round-about way.
Compassion has begun something new. It’s called Missions in Action, and it’s an interactive web series that was created with the purpose to make a difference around the world. It’s a way to get a glimpse of what Compassion is doing and the environment they’re working in, so that those of us who partner with Compassion (or who want to) can actually see and understand more of what we’re involved in. I like that.
Anyway, here is the first “episode.” If you followed the last Compassion Bloggers trip that I followed, then these places will sound familiar. But whether you did or not, whether you sponsor a kid, want to sponsor one, or don’t want to… please watch this.
Then celebrate that there is a Jesus who offers the joy you see on their faces. Celebrate the fact that there are things in life that are so much more important than shopping. Celebrate that what is most important… the joy that is deeper and more meaningful than anything else… is available to you.
Do you want an assignment? Pick one:
1) Begin your own list of 1000 gifts and see if it changes your life.
2) Lower your gift-giving budget and give the difference to Compassion’s Christmas fund. The sponsors and workers who Compassion networks together are currently ministering to 1.2 million children… and Compassion tries to give a gift to every single one. That’s right, 1.2 million gifts for children who will not roll their eyes, or stuff the gift in a closet, or take it back for something else. Or, if you are already sponsoring a child, give that difference as a family gift that might make a permanent difference in their lives.
3) If God’s been nudging you to sponsor a child (or another one), then be obedient and go pick one.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Katie! I loved the different ideas you gave, especially the one about lowering our own Christmas budget and using the difference for a child in need!
Katie, I'm visiting your blog purposely to bring heartfelt greetings to you and your family as we near the end of 2011. May you have a meaningful Advent Season as we await commemorate and anticipate the feast of Christ's birth, Hanukah – a season of new beginnings, and the arrival of the New Year.
You have made a difference in my life. Thank you for blogging about the things that you are passionate about.
I may not be able to visit as often as I want to, but know you do have a special place in my heart. This morning, I specifically went out of my usual routine to write you this greeting.
Compassion Philippines is being supported by our church. I am aware of their heartwarming stories of providing educational upliftment to children who would otherwise remain in poverty and missed opportunities and potential.
THank you for your compassion!
May God continue to be honored and given glory in your life…
Love
Lidia