I'm always selfish this time of year.
It never fails. No matter how much I try and white knuckle it, I always find selfishness and a sense of entitlement this time of year. "I work really hard...I've earned this...but I actually NEED this..." It's really rather pathetic. Or honest. Whichever you prefer. So this year, my family agreed to a 'no stuff' Christmas. We decided we didn't need any more 'stuff' in our lives; we have more than enough material goods. We wanted to do something that would give to people who didn't have. Please keep in mind...
I wasn't raised in a "Christian home".
My stepdad is not a Christian, and he loved the idea. (Not all non-Christians are "bad" people, my sheltered, Christian friends. He is an amazing man.) My mom did some research and we "adopted" 3 local families. She went through 2 credible organizations to find the families. Myself, my mom, brother, stepdad, stepbrother, stepsister, her boyfriend, and my fiance all went shopping for the families a few weeks ago together since the gifts were due earlier this month. We have a bit of a disconnected family dynamic (Stepfamilies can be hard. I know. I witness and am part of one.) This was the first time I remember that everyone seemed to have a good attitude and we had a good time. It was awesome. Sometimes we would split up in Wal-mart to find things, like little boys footie pajama's. Sam's Club was even more funny because my fiance Caleb had NEVER been in one. I could go on with funny stories...like how my stepsister and I convinced my mom that we had to buy one of the girls tattoo barbie...and we did :)
But even more than that, I had never enjoyed Christmas shopping so much. We were scared of what the recievers of the gifts would think of us based on what we purchased and how much we spent. We knew they'd be grateful for the help. We were told one of the mother's in one of the families (single mom, two kids) walked to the organization in the cold to try and give her kids a Christmas. And we didn't just buy gifts. We put together huge food baskets for them; balanced and nutritious. (Not to mention we bought the biggest box of fruit snacks I've ever seen.) It didn't feel like American-consumerism Christmas. It felt like the true spirit of Christmas. Loving our neighbors. Helping those in need. Why? Because we can.
Don't mistake your "stuff" as mere blessings; God equips you with what you have and are given to further His Kingdom. This includes your "stuff". Even your paycheck. (Yep, I said it.)
Sometimes I feel guilty because I'm a very comfortable, white American. My family is upper-middle class. I live in a nice house. I go to a cushy, Christian University. Yet I've served in third world countries and seen the devastation. I've seen 9x16ft rooms that house over 10 people. So sometimes, I feel a little guilty. Like something is wrong with me. Why me? Why was I born an American with all the opportunities in the world at my fingertips? And then I remember when I was in New Zealand last month, and I heard a Maori man (indigenous people of NZ) say, "I love being Maori. God made me Maori. And he didn't make a mistake." That wow'd me. It chills me. It makes me realize that God made me American for a reason. And surely it wasn't so I could keep His riches for myself.
Tomorrow is Christmas day, and my mom, my stepdad, my brother, and myself will be serving at the local soup kitchen from 8am-2pm and then probably going to the movies. I cannot wait to serve alongside Christians and non-Christians in my family. I can't wait to meet my local brothers and sisters that I didn't know existed. I cannot wait to share a smile and a coffee with them. There's nowhere else I'd rather be. People can argue it's something to make me "feel good" or that it's legalistic Christianity...whatever they want to say. My family is doing this because we see a need and are just doing our part.
My mom told me a few months back that she knows there's "more she could be doing" and wanted me to know she's "working on it". I think God is working in her, and she doesn't even know it.
Maybe next year you can try out the 'no stuff' Christmas. And I promise, you'll get much more than you ever did wrapped in pretty paper.
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