Most of us by this point have packed up Christmas. The prized ornaments have been carefully wrapped, the lights are coiled up, and the tree has either been packed or disposed of. Your house seems a little blank, and surprisingly a little bigger than you remember. As I sat on the couch, hot tea in hand, to reflect on the season, I felt a tug on my shirt. One of the littles was looking very concerned. “Momma? What are we going to do now? Is it going to go back to normal? Are we going to stop doing all the fun things that we only do at Christmas time?” “Who is going to love all those who don’t know Jesus?”
That’s when it hit me. Why are we saving it all for Christmas day? This was the perfect time to teach our family, all of us, to be compassionate EVERY DAY. It’s not only at Christmas the world is suffering, dying. And why do we wait until December to cut out extra time for our children and families? We give, sometimes until it hurts, we make sacrifices both in our time and money, and we enjoy the six weeks from Thanksgiving to Christmas immensely. Most of our treasured memories are contained in that time period. But what if we changed that mind set? What if we lived every month like it was the season of giving?
My children and I have come up with a list of ways we can live out 1 John 4:7-12 each and every month. And we would like to share it with you so you can try something new this year.
* Family Reading: Every year we sit down during December and read a series of Advent stories each night. We are going to continue reading each night. If you are a family with boys, may we suggest Chuck Black’s “Kingdom Series” books. This series is the redemptive story of the Bible with study questions for each chapter.
*OCC Shoeboxes:Did you know you can send these boxes year round? We have yet to decide if we are going to do a box a month or collect specific items each month, but we are going to work at giving to these children each month. To find a great buying guide for boxes, check out this link.
*Food Bank: Whether you volunteer your time, or food, your local food bank will appreciate all you are willing to give. We are looking to work at the food bank once a quarter, and donate meals each month.
*Missions Offerings:We have a large jar we collect money in all of December. Instead of packing it, we are leaving it out to collect loose change and other money everyday. And we will give the money to local shelters, families, or projects as we feel lead
*Prayer Calendar: Instead of having a daily theme we pray for. we have set a prayer need for each month. Get your kids suggestions for this. You will be amazed at the things they see for which we can pray!
*Gift Using: My kids are pretty creative. And have many gifts and talents. So each month, we are focusing on these and finding a way to use those gifts to help others. From playing piano at the nursing home, sewing receiving blankets for the Hope Pregnancy Clinics, to fixing fences, painting houses, and mowing the lawn, our family has many ways we can reach out to those living right next to us.
Above all, don’t give up all the time you have carved out for you and your family. Guard it. Use it. Cherish it. And be the light God made you to be to the dark world that lives around you!
I love these ideas, Beth. May we stay focused on serving others all year round!
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing – we’re going to be using a few of these!