Me: How was your day?

C: Good.

Me: What did you do today?

C: Play, eat, learn.

Me: What did you play?

C: Games.

Me: What games?

C: Fun games?

Me: Can you describe them?

C: Yeah.

………..

Talking to students can be a lot like that too. You have to go through a whole lot of that kind of stuff before one randomly tells you what is really happening, how things are at home, how frustrated they are about school, and ….. It often comes out in a torrent. The dam broke and nothing is stopping the flow of information.

Since it takes a lot of very shallow conversations to get to this point, we (youth pastors) have a habit of filling the time with events. It starts of slowly. When I started my current position I had 2 major events on the calendar and plans for a couple others. I just went over my calendar with the students this week, a kind of state of the youth address. This is what we did last year, this is all the cool stuff we are doing this year. We are up to 8 major events with the bulk in the summer. We also have smaller events each month, the events are multiplying. They may be related to tribbles. I have so many things I want to do, but quite frankly I need a system that makes it really hard for an event to get onto my calendar. Otherwise, my summer will just be one long event, staying up till 3 am, getting up at 6 am, and running hard all day for 3 months straight surviving on junk food. It will be one epic summer, especially when my heart bursts right out of my chest on the last day of summer.

What methods do you use to evaluate events? How do you say “no” to great ideas so you can say yes to even better ones?

That night my heart was heavy. I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about this family, and then all the other families in need. I know we made a difference for this family. But my heart was crushed at all of the families out there who need more from those who can help. I kept getting up to pray, then trying to sleep, then getting up again. I finally gave up on sleep at 4am and saw you had already given quite a bit. I was happy to see it but I still kept thinking of everyone else that needs help.

But before I go there, I want to share about what we’ve been able to do and what I’ve been hearing others doing.

To date there were over $300 in donations. My wife is going right now, literally as I type this, to take the money to help pay their rent. I talked with them last night and basically they would be on the street today if we didn’t have this money to give. That is why my heart was so heavy, because I wanted to give them a good Christmas, but what is a nice Christmas morning when you get kicked out on the street a few days later.

The day after I wrote the last post, my wife went Christmas shopping for this family. She bought them food, clothes, and some other presents. The young lady didn’t have a winter coat, so we made that happen too. God has really blessed us in this past year and for once we have disposable income. I was thinking about computer upgrades, other nice toys, generally enjoying the money. Turns out I got the opportunity to really enjoy the money.

The family was just beside themselves with gratitude for the presents. We also got a small tree and a few decorations. They called me a few times just to say thanks again. I am telling you all this because I want you to know they are thankful for your help as well. If it weren’t for you we wouldn’t have been able to give them as much, we would have been forced to chose between giving them food, paying for their rent, and giving them that Merry Christmas. Thank you.

This year we exchanged gifts with friends, and for the first time we were buying and receiving some pretty nice gifts. Normally we had to set really low limits, not because our friends couldn’t afford it, but because we couldn’t spend as much on them as they could on us. I talked to someone I work with online and this year their family did a donation gift exchange instead of their traditional one at the extended family party. They raised $500 for a charity when normally they would have played dirty Santa with stupid little gifts.

Based on that it occurred to me that next year my friends and I could do the same thing, instead of giving gifts to each other we can bless families in our community.

How cool would it be if we all did that next year? At the office party, skip the office gift exchange and raise money for a local charity that is helping keep families warm and full. In your church, sponsor families. With your friends, take the spending limits off and see just how much you can do for the people in your community.

What would happen if we took that same attitude and spread it through the year? What if the 99% said “I don’t need what the 1% has to help my fellow man.”

I guess I’ve been kind of all over the place here. Let me close by once again thanking you from the depth of my heart on your gifts to this family. Because of your giving we didn’t have to choose between keeping a roof over their head, food in their stomachs, and a Merry Christmas morning. You helped us do it all for them, more than anything we could do on our own.

Please continue to pray for them and those in need through our world. Specifically, pray that they are able to get a job and get into the apartments they have been trying to get into, there the rent will be better and they’ll even have more space, a kitchen, and a better opportunity for a better life.

What have/are you doing to help others? Does your family have any traditions this time of year or through out the year? Share in the comments so we can all be inspired to more.