Part 2 of Christmas

We all piled into the van first thing Christmas morning.  We had made a big igloo full of Hot Chocolate and 70 gift bags.  We were all set and ready to go!

All 7 kiddos!

loading the bags

I stole a picture of this...just loved this sweet idea from one of the kids!  They each made homemade cards to go in all 70 bags as well, just another way to get them involved.

As we traveled down, the city was a ghost town, I've never seen it like that before.  Most people were gathered around with families somewhere on Christmas morning.   We had a hard time finding people at first.  Then we headed over to the park and spotted a few.  On the other side there looked to be a group who was giving soup out to those who had know home or family to be with on this celebratory morning.

We got out of the van with our bags and hot chocolate excited to hand out gifts.   Before we could set up our little spot people from everywhere came running, jumping over walls towards us.  It's so hard to explain the next 5 minutes.  Bob and a few kids ran back to the car to get more bags and when the group caught wind that there were more bags in the van they all ran for the van.  I looked over at one point and told Shawn that Bob might need help because the van was literally rocking...they were trying to get in the van and get the bags.  I caught out of the corner of my eye Maggie smiling as she was walking over to give the bags away until they were yanked right out of her hands.

There was no order, whatsoever at this point....we were all a little taken back by the sheer volume of those who were clinging and desperate for a bag.  Half of us were still giving hot chocolate out to those who had already gotten their bag.  The crowd had started to move in, almost on top of us...at one point one of my girls started to cry, she was scared because she was being pushed against the wall by the crowd even though I was right beside her.  As Bob came back from the van, he announced that all the bags were gone.  There were many disgruntled people, cursing, holloring, mumbling.  Shawn had one lady tell him how we should have done it.  I heard several ask why hadn't we put a gift card in the bags.  We saw many with more then one gift bag in their clear trash bags where they kept literally everything they owned.

In a matter of minutes, the bags were all gone.  As soon as things cleared out we began to talk about the sheer madness that happened 5 minutes ago.  The kids all looked a little shell shocked as did we.

In that moment, I went over my expectations that I had just 10 minutes earlier.  In my mind I thought that we would come across maybe one or two people at a time and hand them a bag, maybe get the opportunity to share Christ and maybe just maybe hear their story.   I stood in disarray at how completely opposite things turned out.  Yet so content in knowing this is how God wanted our morning to be.  What do we learn from this? What do we take away from this?

We all gathered around and held hands to thank God for this opportunity to be his hands and his feet to His people. These very precious children of God that matter just as much to His heart as we do.  The difference being we dress like we have it altogether.  The truth is we are just as desperate and needy!  We might make ourselves look good on the outside but on the inside we are desperate.  I couldn't help but think, aren't we just like those who snatched bags out of the hand of the giver?  Doesn't God give us all that we need in Him but yet we want more..we stomp our feet thinking we deserve better.  How many times do we holler out,  "why didn't you do this or that" instead of being happy with what He has given us for this time in our lives.  How many times do we find ourselves griping or shaking our fists at God just like those who didn't receive a bag, when we don't get what we want?  How many times have we taken and then expect more, never satisfied in what the one gift held?

I couldn't help but feel so thankful for a Savior who had taken my place upon that cross and because of His incredible gift I can have life.  I can say that I might have felt a tinge disappointed initially when the mayhem started but by the end of the five minutes...felt as though a light had shone brightly that morning.  Not because of anything we did but because of Jesus using very broken, desperate people to be vessels so that His glory, His majesty, His love for those people could be given.

As we all piled into the van and headed out of the city we came across a man on the sidewalk who had no home and was looking under newspaper bins and in the trash can for something.  We stopped, we looked around to see if we had anything...anything at all to give him.  Shawn piped up that he had gloves and Bob started out of the car to give them to him, Shawn followed and the next 1 1/2 minutes was beautiful...tears streamed down my face as I saw my husband start to take his sweatshirt off and proceed to give it to this precious man.  Shawn took his jacket off and handed it to him but he wouldn't take it.  As this is going on all 7 children watched wide eyed as their dads were showing them what it looks like to be used by Jesus.  The man said, "I don't need no jacket, all's I need is size 13 sneakers".  My brother took off his sneakers because he happens to have size 13 sneakers on his feet.   What a beautiful sight and what a beautiful way the Lord chose to allow us to leave that morning!  We serve a mighty God who cares for the littlest, the neediest, the unlovly and unlovable and yet chose to use us, sinners to bring Glory for His name!

I am so grateful for the rich heritage I have.  From a young age my Father would gather our family up and take us to the nursing home to visit and sing while he would give a little sermonette.  He would take us on many trips where he had the opportunity to serve.  He had a business that often consisted of workers who had been in jail or had drug addictions.  My dad saw the good in them when others didn't and wanted to give them a shot.  He knew what it was like to be the underdog.  My grandmother also gave so richly from her heart.  Anybody and everybody was welcomed around her table.  Her light and love for Jesus shined through her servant's heart.  She loved....really loved everyone, even those who were outcasts.

I pray that I take every moment that God chooses to put before me as an opportunity to let His glory be displayed and His kingdom impacted.

At the end of your life one of three things will happen to your heart: it will grow hard, it will be broken, or it will be tender.  Nobody escapes.  Your heart will become coarse and desensitized, or be crushed under the weight of disappointment, or be made tender by that which makes the heart of God tender as well.  God's heart is a caring heart.  (Ravi Zacharias)


Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds an praise your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:16


"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:35-36


I leave you with this incredible story.  If you haven't seen this it is worth your time it will touch your heart.