give a little

After the horrifying events in Connecticut, 

I have been unable to shake that achy sad feeling. 

Unable to process that we really live in a world that can take 

20 innocent children and 6 heroic women in such an unfathomable way. 

And unfortunately this is just the most recent (publicized) atrocity, 

there are crimes and injustices committed against innocent people everyday. 

I needed to do something selfless and good and human.

So this year instead of loading up stockings for Guy and I like I normally would, 

I put together 4 stockings (one representative for each member of our family) to take to our local charity the House of Blessing. I packaged up some new pajamas, clothing, toys and treats as well. 

Yesterday I delivered the packages and the woman working was beyond thankful for our donation. 

Insisting on taking my information so they could send us a thank you card which was totally unnecessary and totally sweet. My heart felt good. When giving her my information, she paused after I told her my last name (which I thought was weird) but when I got into the office just a short time later my mom told me that her and my dad were going shopping for the local food bank. I realized this lady had probably just spoken to my dad  before I came! In our small community of about 30,000 people this food bank feeds about 500 families a month, so out my parents went to purchase supplies

 that will fully stock their shelves. My heart felt good. 

My sister has a Christmas tree at work that has names of children that are less fortunate. Her and the other employees at her company have been piling up the gifts under the tree to take every one of those names off the tree. To give each one of them something to open on Christmas morning. 

I have been reading stories about Paying it forward in our community. Stories about local people doing random acts of kindness for random strangers. I'm addicted to it actually, I usually get a bit weepy over them because they are so genuine, such pure acts of goodness. And they aren't about spending a lot of money, they are about taking a moment to think about someone else before yourself. 

About how giving a little means can mean receiving so much for that person. 

So this Christmas while we are enjoying our little ones, holding them close, watching them open their gifts with excitement and eating our plentiful dinner(s). We can rejoice in the real spirit of Christmas, in knowing that we have paid it forward and sent blessings to others when we have received so many.

This Christmas I urge you to give the gift of humanity, your heart will thank you for it!