Generosity

I experienced a true blessing today. Because Makenneh is in Headstart and it's a state-funded program, local agencies often work with the families at holiday time. Last month, Makenneh brought home a paper for me to fill out with Christmas wishes, sizes, etc for everyone in the family. A few weeks ago, I received a call from the lady who was organizing the Christmas drive. She said the family who had our name wanted to know if there were any other things we needed...for the house, for the kids, anything. She asked if we needed bedding, towels, etc. She also confirmed clothing sizes. Well, i didn't think much of it. Today was the pick up day. I went to the Church to pick up my items. Now, I have received Christmas help before and usually it consisted of some small, more so supplementary items. I was very grateful then and got all teary-eyed. This year, what I experienced, was beyond belief. I gave the lady my name, showed my ID and she handed me a $15 gift card for the local grocery store, a paper bag with laundry soap, toilet paper and paper towel in it. She then said the gentleman standing there would help with the rest. So, i follow him outside, where he got two more paper bags, full of groceries and loaded them in my car, while another gentleman went to get the gift items. He comes out and says that I have a lot of things so asked me to back my car up. I do. He brings out so many gifts. I kid you not that my entire car, front seat, back seat, trunk, was loaded with stuff. The stuff was all wrapped so i had no idea what was inside. I graciously thanked the men and headed off back to mom's. The tears were already burning my eyes. Some family was soo incredibly generous and I couldn't help but feel so thankful and humble. I called my mom and told her how my car was crammed full of gifts....as I started to cry. I hung up, and the next song to come on the radio was "Drummer Boy"...my grandma's favorite Christmas song. I began sobbing so hard, i thought about pulling off the road. I felt kinda like grandma was sending me a message from above that she is looking out for us. I got back to my moms and we unloaded the car. We left so that mom could do some of her shopping. I couldn't wait to get back to her place to go through everything. Even though it was wrapped, I wanted to carefully unwrap it to see what all was there...to make sure that nothing duplicated what I had already gotten and to make sure things evened out (bc i am a stickler about fairness in gift giving). So, we got back from shopping and i locked myself in my parents' bedroom. I began opening gifts, slowly and carefully. What I saw amazed me even further. There is enough stuff there to call Christmas. Plain and simple. and not just for the kids, but for Jeremy and I and even family gifts. I cried so hard. I don't know who these people are and they don't know who I am. Yet, they gave, so generously and have definitely made this our best Christmas ever. Winter boots for Makenneh and a pair of boot/shoe things for Sebastian (they actually look like mini men's work boots...really cute), shoes for me and jeremy, work boots for jeremy, betty crocker bake set (play stuff) for makenneh, play appliances for makenneh, talking dora poster, a white, lined basket filled with a unicorn, a "candle" light, books and a small wrapped present (which i left wrapped), clothes (which i didn't have time to go through yet)...then for SEbastian..two cars from the Cars movie, a Lightning McQueen, Cars book set, set of 3 sports balls, outfits, clothes..then Shrek 3 movie, Thomas movie. For Jeremy- two nice outfits (jeans and nice shirts), $40 Sears gift card, a lap tray with ink pen set, notepad, deck of cards and something else, i honestly didn't even check..all bundled together, nut cracker and nuts. For me, a pj set, 3 pair of pants and 4 tops (just in the stuff that i checked) I still have a few gifts i didn't open. For the family, a bag full of safety stuff...smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, flashlight, batteries, pamphlets on safety and talking with kids, info on carseat checks, car safety checks, etc, towels...oh and flannel sheet sets for each of the kids....This is all just off the top of my head. I have to add that several of the gifts seemed to say that they just knew what to get. For instance...makenneh loves unicorns and just saw one in the store the other day and wanted it. She also wants a night light in her room (they gave her that candle thing that would work perfect as a night light), Sebastian loves Cars movie, and Thomas and we just watched Spiderman movie the other night..one of his outfits is a spidey outfit. Jeremy only had about one pair of decent jeans...no nice shirts, really. I have been so frustrated every day getting dressed bc i need new clothes...and they just gave me so many nice ones. I don't have any pj's...now i have a brand new, matching set. It's as if they just knew what to get. And perhaps they did...I truly believe God above guided them in their purchases. How else can you explain such coincidence. My mom said she bets they spent close to $1000 on all of this stuff. And without a doubt, they probably did. Interestingly enough, I was just talking to my sister the night before about how someday, when I am on my feet, I am going to start a program to help needy families at Christmas. In our hometown, a lady started what she calls Community Services and every year, they help many local families with Christmas. The reason she started it was bc she had gone through some rough times where she didn't know how she would provide Christmas and she decided then that she never wanted another family to have to experience that. So, she does her part to help out. I have wanted to do something like that, myself. I think it is an incredible thing and I truly believe that every child should have gifts to wake up to on Christmas morning. It breaks my heart to think about the many children who don't.

All day today, I couldn't help but think about the fact that every year, I have donated to at least one of the Christmas drives. Every year since I was old enough to have my own money. And before that and even after that, I always told my mom to donate one of my gifts (that she would have gotten me) to charity. This year, before I even knew for sure how I would pull Christmas off for my kids (but knowing that they would indeed have Christmas), I took 3 ornaments off the "giving tree" at my college. Each ornament had a small gift that some child had requested. I bought them and dropped them off a couple weeks ago. And, my giving has blessed me many times over already. Initially I was blessed bc of the great feeling it gives me inside to do something so kind. It grew from there. The next blessing I received was when my Aunt Jean bought me a flash drive so that I would have one for college. She then dropped off a box of food for me. Then, the gifts I received today. That was followed by Julie's offer to send snow pants for Makenneh. My life is full of many blessings and it is those blessings that keep me going during my darkest moments. I always know (even if only deep down at times) that things will work out and this life is so very much worth living. And at times, it seems the world has gone crazy... yet there are people out there who have hearts of gold.

I believe there are angels among us:

Angels Among Us by Alabama
I was walking home from school on a cold winter day.
Took a shortcut through the woods, and I lost my way.
It was getting late, and I was scared and alone.
But then a kind old man took my hand and led me home.
Mama couldnt see him, but he was standing there.
And I knew in my heart, he was the answer to my prayers.

Chorus
Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with a light of love.

When life held troubled times, and had me down on my knees.
Theres always been someone there to come along and comfort me.
A kind word from a stranger, to lend a helping hand.
A phone call from a friend, just to say I understand.
And aint it kind of funny that at the dark end of the road.
Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope.

Chorus

They wear so many faces, show up in the strangest places.
To guide us with their mercy, in our time of need.

Chorus
To guide us with a light of love.
*********

I *know* there are angels among us. I experience it. I have several.

With that, I just want to end by saying, if there is any way you can do something, even small, to help someone out during the holiday season, do it. Whether it's buying a toy to donate to a local charity, toys for tots, etc or taking some food to a family you know could use it or "adopting" a family to provide them Christmas or taking an ornament off one of the trees, something, anything. If we all do a part, the season will be merrier for more. And trust me, the feeling you get from giving is magnificent. And those who receive are so grateful. I challenge everyone reading this to do one of the things mentioned above. Hurry and get out there. There is still time and so much need.