The Reason for the Season

It is Christmas time again, the time for Peace on Earth, Joy, and Love for all Mankind. And Road Rage. And Debt. And fighting over that special item that there is only 1 of in the county and, Danggit, your kid is going to have it!

Why is it that all you have to do is mention Christmas shopping, and all common sense completely disappears? People will spend hours in a mall wearing out a credit card buying expensive gifts for people they barely know, but they will not spare a dollar's worth of change for the bell ringers by the door?

We hear, "Remember the Reason for the Season" and hear Christmas carols praising God and announcing the Birth of Christ, and we might even sing along with them, but the words are just words to us. We are too caught up in the search for the perfect gift or some other such garbage. Do we really think Jesus cares whether or not your Mother-in-Law gets a cashmere sweater for His birthday?

Most of the time, the thing most people would prefer to get would be the money you spent on the gift they don't want or need. All of us, and I do mean every single person, have more crap laying around the house than we care to admit. And I would be willing to guess that if you opened up that back closet that you only use for storage, you would find several items that were given to you at Christmas. We spend hundreds of dollars every year swapping crap.

Instead of buying hundreds of dollars worth of future yard sale fodder in Jesus's Name, why not take the money you would have spent and donate it to cancer research? Instead of buying 2 games for your child's new gaming system, only buy 1 and give the other $50 to a community charity. Or buy $50 worth of food for the food bank. Or buy blankets for the homeless shelter.

Or...spend the time you would have spent Christmas shopping and volunteer!

If we are truly celebrating the Birth of Christ and all He teaches us, do what he wants us to do! Give to those less fortunate. Help those in need. Give joyfully of ourselves. Spend time with friends and family. Celebrate God's love for us and be joyful!

It isn't about who gets the biggest present or who spends the most money. And it most certainly isn't about the corporate profits.

Christmas is about loving and giving. Joyfully and without hesitation.

What is wrong with some people?

There are times when I wonder just exactly what is wrong with the world and how we could let it get this way. What ever happened to helping your neighbor and giving to those less fortunate just to be giving instead of using it as a tax break?

It seems to me that the only people who care about anything anymore (except making money) are the youth. They haven't yet had the chance to get their ideals smashed against the brick walls of bureaucracy and apathy. There just doesn't seem to be anyone in a position to do anything useful that is also willing to do the right thing.

Granted, there are lots of causes out there to support, but how many people actually do anything besides write a check? I am talking about more than monetary support. I am talking about getting out there and getting your hands dirty to help someone who needs it. How many older people are there out there who need their house painted, or roof patched, or even a ride to the doctor or drug store? How many children are left at home alone because Daddy left a long time ago and Momma works two jobs just to pay the rent? How many people simply don't have enough food to eat?

And I am not even talking about Third World Countries. I mean in the good ole US of A. Yes, these folks can get public assistance. Yes, there are government agencies to coordinate aid for the elderly and unfortunate. And yes, some of the folks who get aid don't actually deserve it, but no system is perfect.

What I guess I am saying is that we all have a responsibility to help others. If you have an elderly person living near you who is unable to do minor home repairs or drive themselves to town, why do you not offer to help? Is it pride? Are you too busy? Or do you just not care?

It doesn't cost anything to be nice. Why not offer to take the widow lady next door to church with you? Or to the grocery store? Or at least ask her if she needs anything. If she doesn't have any family and lives alone, what would happen if she fell? Would you just leave her there?

If everyone took 5 or 10 minutes a day, a couple of times a week, just to be nice to someone, think of how much better a place the world would be. Smile at a stranger. You never know, that could be the first good thing they had happen all day.

I used to make a point at waving at all mail carriers and delivery people whenever I saw them. They have a thankless job and being nice made me feel good too.

Just do something, anything, to help others. Smile at a stranger, fix a window, offer to paint a wall, read a book to a child, just do something. We are not here on the Earth to make money and waste our lives. Find something you believe in and DO SOMETHING!