Day 4 ★ 12 Days of Giving
I just got through reading the most beautiful post by my sis-in-law called Love Came Down on a women’s blog she writes for. It brought tears to my eyes and caused me to *stop* for a moment and think about what’s important right now. Ahhhh…sometimes it’s so nice to pause (even if just for a moment) and allow life to freeze frame, if you will. It makes me think of the song Stop this train by John Mayer. The chorus says “Stop this train. I want to get off and go home again. I can’t take the speed it’s moving in…” I just spent a little time sitting in front of a roaring fire with my two sons. It’s in moments like this, when you are glad life stops for a minute and you get to ponder on what is most important in this life.
What is the meaning of Christmas? This is a question that will continue and be debated on through the ages. I think one appealing thing about Christmas is the magic it brings for so many children and sometimes you still catch a glimpse of that as an adult if you let yourself.
In the blog post I read today, Kacey wrote, “I have seen some Christmas decorations in the stores that simply say “Love Came Down…” and, every single time I read it, my heart skips a beat. That is really what Christmas is about, isn’t it? God packaged up all of His love for us and sent it down to earth as a baby.
Wow. That idea takes my breath away…
Sure, I love dancing around to Christmas songs or having hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies with my kiddos just as much as the next person, but the thought of God loving us so very much….
Well, it leaves me speechless.”
And that is exactly what reading her post did to me….left me speechless for a minute. It’s as if the train stopped and I got to breathe for a moment. John 3:16 pretty much sums it up, but I love how Kacey put this into perspective with her own life.
Jesus said, “Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me.”
On Day 2 I talked about Samaritan’s Purse and all the good they do across the board, around the world. The truth is, we all have a greater calling to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Each and every one of us have needs. Each of us has someone right in our backyard, so to speak, who might need need something a little more than life has given them right now.
I really hope you watched the video above. According to Spare Some Change the movement, there are currently 1.8 million homeless youth living on the streets in America! That’s a lot, folks. I’m not proud of that number at all.
My all-time favorite band, Switchfoot, has an annual concert for the homeless youth of America called Bro-Am. They campaign with StandUp For Kids to help raise awareness and money for these kids living on the streets right in our backyards. One really cool thing they are doing right now is asking that people Bring A Backpack for the homeless youth to their fall tour that they are on right now with Anberlin (one of my hubby’s favorite bands). If you happen to catch a show, be sure to bring a backpack with you! Switchfoot wrote the song Dark Horses for the homeless youth of America. Check it out. It packs a strong message.
It’s not just youth that struggle, though. There are all kinds of people, from all different walks of life who struggle.This summer I met an amazing woman in Colorado who told me all about a program they are doing in Old Colorado City, CO. where instead of the homeless flying signs, people can put spare change into old meters around the town and the money goes into a fund and is distributed to the homeless in the area. To the right here is one of the meters we saw in the busy shopping area.
On Day 1 of this series, I talked about The Salvation Army and all they do for homeless people. Giving directly to them is one way to help, for sure. At this time of year, they always need hats, gloves, scarves, warm socks, hand and feet warmers, and any other items that can help keep them warm.
