My house is the donation drop-off spot for a needy family in my community. Every day for the past week friends and strangers have been leaving huge bags of clothes, toiletries, and gifts (including 2 bikes), on my front porch.
We have already made two deliveries to my new friend "Annette", and I feel like I am the one being blessed. She is a grandmother (though not much older than I) and is raising her 4 young grandchildren who were being abused. I don't know the specifics, but I am assuming they left in a hurry and left everything behind. The place they are living has a queen-size bed, a couch from a dumpster, and a small t.v. That's it. We have supplied them with bedding, clothes, groceries, Christmas gifts, and more.
I could tell she was overwhelmeed and uncomfortable asking for anything for herself, so I gave her a hug and said, "We are Christians and mothers and we are here to help you. It's going to be okay." And you know what she wanted? Bikes for the kids. So they could go outside and make friends with the neighbor kids.
Yesterday she finally warmed up and told me she loved music, but didn't have anything to play it on or any c.d.s. Also, a blue comforter.
"Any special shade of blue?" I asked.
"No. Just blue."
Guess what I did today besides dust off my old c.d. player and pick out my favorite c.d.s for Annette? I bought a beautiful, bright blue queen-size quilt with matching pillow shams.
It was the best Christmas present I have ever bought.
-Lela
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6 comments:
Love this soo much.. THAT is what Christmas is all about.
I knew this was happening just from our frequent phone calls. And I've read it four times now. I still tear up every time! You guys are making a Christmas for a family that would have been pretty bleak otherwise... there's real power to do good in a group of women/parents/strangers.
-Ally
You Rock...that's all...you just ROCK!
I am so happy when I read stuff like this...go girl.
YOU. ROCK.
Love what you are doing. This is exactly what we all need to remember---that in giving/doing for OTHERS, we can make ourselves so very happy!!!
;-)
HUGS!
This is the first year that I just had it up to here with my kids asking for needless toys and gifts. I decided that they would only get one gift from us and then we would buy gifts for kids who were in foster homes and weren't getting any gifts this year. We got a list of kids ages and what they wanted and went shopping. I think it made us all feel good to know that we were making kids out there really happy this Christmas. It's going to be our new family tradition. Next year I'd really like to find a specific family that we can shop for.
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