This is a post from about 4 years ago. I think it's close enough to Christmas to repost it.
This Christmas has been different: snowy, out of order traditions (we still haven't opened our stockings!), and a whole lot of giving.
For the first time since I can remember my parents and I chose to give more than we recieved and as a result, have had the best Christmas ever. Today we spent Christmas with a family we just met whose faith and exemplary trust in Christ emulated Abraham. They moved thousands of miles to Seattle and changed their way of life because they felt the call of God.
Throughout the last few weeks, since we met this family, my parents and I have come together in prayer and faith in countless ways asking God how he wanted to use us to demonstrate his love to them as well as our community. It resulted in a ton of elbow grease around our house as well as braving the weather and malls with more joy then I've experienced since my last service oriented trip.
Today we were able to see the fruits of our labor and God's work on our hearts by having the family over for lunch and dinner. In addition to to the "planned gifts" God open so many doors for us to give of ourselves. For example, I have way more clothes than I wear or need and for the last couple of days I'd been asking for an oportunity to give them to the two girls who are 8 and 13. After a fun round of "Apples to Apples" the youngest had a drink spill on her shirt and I was able to "see the window" to ask if she wanted to wear one of mine. She readily agreed and asked "so, when I leave where should I put it?" To which I was able to reply "well, actually, you can keep it. And, you can try some of these other ones if you'd like..." A closet riffling later resulted in two garbage bags full of clothes I no longer need being hauled out of my room by two very excited girls...even my hemmed pants fit!!
But what really stood out to me from the clothes, was a pair of gold chuck taylors I impulse bought at walmart about a year ago. As the family walked out, with the oldest wearing the shoes; not only was reminded of a portion of one of my favorite quotes, "God is in the recycling business..." but also overwhelmed by the truth that God really is in control and has plans for our life. My "impulse buy" turned into a blessing and a very tangible reminder of how I really can trust Jesus' plan for my life.
What caused the differences this Christmas? The sermons on giving I heard on several occasions? The weather? A change in outlook? Being thankful? The fact that my hearing loss has taught me the hard way that nothing really is ours and that only God really is in control and caused me to be more grateful for what I have? Regardless, Christmas 2008 will forever be etched in my memory as the one where I truly learned that its more blessed to give than recieve.
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