“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35 NIV
Regardless of your faith, the Apostle Paul’s admonishment in Acts 20:35 should be a caution to every one of us. Tearing into Christmas packages is exciting, especially when the spirit of Santa lives under your roof. You listen to squeals brought about by Barbie dolls, bicycles, iPads, video games and all the gifts that put smiles on faces.
But we shouldn’t stop there. When’s the last time you put a smile on a stranger’s face? How about your children? Have they discovered the blessing of giving to people they don’t know?
When the presents are exchanged at your house, try this. Load up your family, and take them to the nearest nursing home or retirement center. Ask for permission to visit with the residents. You don’t have to buy anything. Just a stack of child-made cards will work magic. Lonely faces will light up like the brightest Christmas tree.
Most of us know this simple truth. But sometimes it takes a gentle tap on the shoulder to remind us. My tap came with a phone call years ago. My 89-year-old mother had taken a tumble, broken a bone and needed rehabilitation for a few months. She was making progress, but my regular visits to see her were therapeutic for me, too.
After a couple of days in the hospital, Mother was assigned to a rehab facility. My initial focus was on her. We wanted to meet everyone who was entrusted with her care. We found the staff was caring and professional. But unfortunately, I had become so absorbed in Mother’s challenges that I was looking without really seeing.
I confess.
And shame on me.
Thank goodness, as I walked toward room 102, my eyes finally opened. I started looking to the right and left. In those rooms were people’s mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends. I slowed my stride, trying to make eye contact with other residents. A pause, a hello and a friendly wave almost always brought back a smile. One by one, I learned their names. And when they heard their names, each smile burst into a grin.
I hurt for my mother. I wanted her back walking the halls of her retirement community and slipping notes of encouragement under doors of her friends. Card-writing was her personal ministry. She did her part to keep the post office in business. She missed teaching Sunday school and going to church. She wanted out of the wheelchair. Marjorie NeSmith believed that she was really 69. She couldn’t believe that there would be 90 candles on her next birthday cake.
But what put Mother into rehab became an unforgettable lesson for her children and grandchildren. For our family, it was a gift, one that presented itself each time we visited her. By looking around, we saw how blessed we had been. The late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale reminded us to be kind to our neighbors, for they are having as much trouble as we are. Oftentimes more.
Just after Christmas in 2014, Mother, 90, went to Heaven to join my dad. The lessons learned during her final months will always remain a cherished gift. That’s why during this season of receiving—regardless of our faith—we should heed Christ’s words, echoed by Paul. The greatest blessing is giving. Insist that your children put down their toys for an afternoon. Take them to a nursing home or retirement center.
Visit strangers.
Make new friends.
And by giving joy, your children (and you) will experience the magic of receiving joy, too.
Merry Christmas.
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com
