At OSU-Tulsa we have a "Cowboy Tree" in place of an Angel Tree and they fill out little orange boots rather than angels. I looked around the tree trying to find someone that Matt and I could support. I found little Jaquan. 5 years old. Asked for Hot Wheels and a Teddy bear. Other kids were asking for ipods and digital cameras. I picked his name and signed up. What a sweet child that he humbly asked for something so small. Matt and I shopped for him together. I fell a little more in love with Matt while we shopped. He was so generous and made sure that Jaquan got not only the toys he asked for, but also 2 pairs of shoes, a coat, a warm shirt, and extra toys.
There's a woman from Mexico that is our custodian for our office. She does a great job and doesn't speak more than about 10-20 words of English. She allows me to practice my Spanish and she is so gracious and patient. She told me last year that they didn't have the money for gifts for Christmas and that broke my heart. I gave her a gift of chocolates and she was so happy. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and I could tell that she really truly appreciated my gift. That's the only gift I remember what I gave someone last year.
So this year, I got her some Bath & Body Works products and made her a sampling of some baked goods I made at home the night before. I made her a card, and wrote the entire thing in Spanish. God bless her for forgiving me for my errors. Now that I reread this I am already catching mistakes! Once again, she graciously received it.
Now, I'm not saying any of this to show off generosity or anything, because honestly we should be more generous and it's never enough. I'm just sharing one of the greatest joys that I have experienced this holiday season. Everything is so commercial at Christmas time and it's easy to forget the real reason for the season. Jesus Christ was born so that He could make the ultimate sacrifice for us. I wouldn't even count what I have done as a sacrifice, really a pleasure. I would like to learn each year to challenge myself to a new level of giving. Maybe even give til it hurts. I wish you all a blessed holiday season. Be safe. Laugh often. Give a little more than you should. Eat too much. Say a prayer of thanks.
Merry Christmas!
Shanna
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1 comments:
I adopted an Angel at work and I was so happy that I was able to help someone else. I also chose a little boy who liked to color, Thomas the train and building blocks. It was such a rewarding experience. I'm still sad I couldn't stuff stockings at Ron Mc Don but glad I could still contribute!
Have a Merry Christmas and I'll see you in 2011!!!
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