Blessings of Christmas
Good
morning my fellow Rotarians. With the holidays
it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season, especially
when it comes to helping those less fortunate.
Our club does a great job in this area, but sometimes we may miss how simple
acts of kindness can change lives forever.
This is a short story from Norman Vincent Peale.
Dr.
Peale, a noted minister and author, tells the story of a young girl from Sweden who was spending the holiday
season in New York City while living with an American family. Her chores included helping around the house,
but she didn't have much money. So she knew she couldn't buy nice Christmas
presents for her host family—besides, they already had so much, with new gifts
arriving every day from family and friend.
With just what little money she had, she went out and bought an outfit for a small baby, and then set out on a journey to find the poorest part of town and the poorest baby she could find. At first, she received only strange looks from people when she asked them for help. But then a kind stranger, a Salvation Army bell-ringer, guided her to a poor part of town and helped her deliver her gift.
With just what little money she had, she went out and bought an outfit for a small baby, and then set out on a journey to find the poorest part of town and the poorest baby she could find. At first, she received only strange looks from people when she asked them for help. But then a kind stranger, a Salvation Army bell-ringer, guided her to a poor part of town and helped her deliver her gift.
On
Christmas morning, instead of giving her host family gifts, she told them about
her act of kindness done in their name. Everyone was speechless, and yet everyone
was blessed—the girl for giving, the wealthy family for seeing others with new
eyes, and the poor family for receiving an unexpected gift.
We all have many opportunities to show kindness, especially at Christmastime. We can help strangers by delivering gifts to needy kids or serving homeless families at a soup kitchen. Or we can simply look for everyday ways to be kind, like allowing someone to go ahead in a long line, or giving that bell-ringer a little extra change and a few encouraging words.
Maybe our gift-giving mode inspires us to give to others at Christmas. Maybe the season makes us more aware of our families, friends and those in our communities. Or maybe it's because two thousand years ago, the earth received the most perfect, most loving gift of all; God’s son, Jesus Christ. This is a special time of year to remember this special gift. Christmas begins with CHRIST, the real reason for this season.
We all have many opportunities to show kindness, especially at Christmastime. We can help strangers by delivering gifts to needy kids or serving homeless families at a soup kitchen. Or we can simply look for everyday ways to be kind, like allowing someone to go ahead in a long line, or giving that bell-ringer a little extra change and a few encouraging words.
Maybe our gift-giving mode inspires us to give to others at Christmas. Maybe the season makes us more aware of our families, friends and those in our communities. Or maybe it's because two thousand years ago, the earth received the most perfect, most loving gift of all; God’s son, Jesus Christ. This is a special time of year to remember this special gift. Christmas begins with CHRIST, the real reason for this season.
Whatever your reason, this Christmas show kindness, it is what we do as Rotarians, because it is truly more blessed to give than to receive.
To you
and your family I wish you a very Merry Christmas a blessed New Year! And that’s the bottom of the news on this Friday
December 21, 2012.
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