Sincerity of Spirit Rules Supreme at Christmas
Each year our family draws names to determine who gives what to whom for Christmas. We essentially buy one gift for each name drawn, eliminating the waste and redundancy of unwanted items and duplicate presents. It works well for the grown-ups who pretty much have the necessities and many of the accessories of comfortable living. This rule does not apply to the children, though. The kids make an outrageous haul, and so it should be at Christmas.
While we enjoy gift-giving as much as any family does, I find greater pleasure in the kind of giving that lifts weary spirits, the type of benevolence that comes without fancy gift wrap. I have seen and been on the receiving end of gifts that brought tears and overwhelming gratitude, thanks to the selfless generosity of others. Christmas, with all its glitter and gold, showcases the very best of the human spirit, in all its humility and quiet grace.
When we hosted a fundraiser for two children in need of medical care, the residents of Wesley Manor Retirement Community gave lovingly and charitably. I arrived at my office the morning after we announced the upcoming event and unloaded my mailbox. Among the stacks of marketing solicitations and business letters, I found three notes:
One, torn from a yellow legal pad, featured shaky handwriting almost microscopic in size; the second, on folded stationary, was inscribed with beautifully fluid cursive; and the third, a small note card from a Catholic press, no inscription, just a pre-printed scripture from Proverbs. All contained money, a total of seven dollars. They simply read “For the children.”
The anonymity struck me first. These three gave with no need for acknowledgement. The sacrifice got me good, too. Something about these gifts told me they came from huge hearts of meager means. And then, the sincerity of spirit in which these dollar bills were folded, the notes written, the prayers delivered made me know that there live among us people who genuinely take great satisfaction in helping others who are down on their luck. I will always remember the powerful reassurance that was mine as I read each one.
The Bible tells us we are all God’s children. Perhaps while our wee ones are reaping the rewards of good girls and boys in the form of toys, games and electronic wonders, we “big” kids should take satisfaction in the fact that we are the recipient of some pretty awesome gifts, too. Our Christmas gift arrived more than 2, 000 years ago, an enduring promise that never loses its luster.
Here in these wonderful United States, we go to sleep each night knowing that we live in freedom, thanks to the bravery and courage of men and women who defend our right to do so. We have access to plentiful food, the worlds’ best health care, and places of worship that deliver much more than a spot to park your bottom on Sunday morning.
This Christmas, I wish you and your family the kind of gift that I found in my mailbox —dollar bills are nice, yes, but I mean something more than that. I hope that you discover a sincerity of spirit that transcends the trappings of materialistic indulgences. It can be as simple as a smile, as comforting as a hug, as touching as three simple words written on a Post-It note: “For the children.”
