'Tis The Season For Giving

We're going from pretty to pretty bleak right now!

Well, I'm liking standard time.  Especially in the morning.  : )  Right now, instead of looking out at darkness, there is light in the sky - a hint of a sunrise.  There are birds at the feeder and the squirrels are already busy.  : )  It's cold though!  I guess today is going to be nice with a high of 45 degrees but then tomorrow back into the 20's.  It happens every year but we're always surprised.  : )

In today's post I'm talking about depending on what season of life you are going through right now, and depending on whether or not it's a difficult time for you right now, the holidays can be a mixed bag of emotions and feelings.  Either it is a season of looking forward to it all with joy and expectation, or it is a season of not looking forward to it at all - maybe a little of both.  Believe me - I have been there.

This year (right now anyway), for me, I am in the joy and expectation.  I'm already praying that the Lord will settle me down a bit because when I feel this way I can easily over-expect.  I need to step back and take my own advice about just enjoying the process and not look too far ahead into the future and remember that plans change and to ALWAYS have a back-up plan!!!!   : )  But when your plans are dependent upon others' plans and they wait to tell you what their plans are it can be a little frustrating.  Certain things do need time to carry them out.  But there is one thing that you can plan for and is not dependent upon someone else and that is carrying through some acts of kindness to others in your community.

The following list is a springboard of ideas for you to take from and add some of your own!  It is a joyous thing to give to others and it's especially fun to do it anonymously.  : )  Little elves running all over town doing good deeds.  I guarantee you that even when you are at your lowest it will bring a wonderful feeling in your heart.  So, I hope you can try at least one of these things for the upcoming holiday season:

*Pay for someone's groceries behind you.

*Take flowers to a nurse's station.

*Pay for the lunch of the people behind you in the drive through.

*Take snacks, cookies, cupcakes, etc. to the fire department or police department.

*Donate stuffed animals to police and fire departments for the children.

*Put change in vending machines.

*Give extra groceries to the food shelves.

*Pick up someone's tab at the restaurant.

*Leave a VERY generous tip.

*Buy dessert for someone eating alone.

*Tape a gift card to a gas pump.

*Drop off little gifts to a nursing home - call ahead to see what would be appropriate.

*Buy extra dog and cat food for an animal shelter.

*Hand out gloves and mittens at a bus stop.

*Hide dollar bills around the Dollar Store.

*Volunteer at a soup kitchen.

*Drop off a toy or game at a hospital or doctor's office.

*Donate coloring books and crayons to hospital and clinics.

*Leave a bottle of detergent at a laundromat.

*Buy hot drinks for the Salvation Army bell ringers.

*Buy gift cards for cancer patients.

*Make baby blankets (or for the kids) for hospitals.

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And I know you can add to this list!!!!  Just doing one or two this holiday season will mean SO much to someone.  I know that there are people who hesitate on some of these because they feel they will be taken advantage of.  For example, taking a bottle of detergent to the laundromat automatically made me think that someone will just take it.  They won't just take what they need and leave the rest for someone else to use - they will probably take it.  But we can't think that way.  Giving from the heart means that you leave behind those feelings of wondering how this will work in some cases.  We give because it's the right thing to do - nothing else.  There shouldn't be any strings attached.

I hope this gives you some ideas of what to do for others this year.  There are so many people who would love this and just feel great in knowing that someone cared to do SOMETHING.  Again, we don't have to do it all!  Even the Bible says that we just need to choose what we will give, but the important thing is to follow through on it - don't go back on your word.  Make a little difference this year in the life of someone.  This is so nice because in this kind of giving, there is no expectation of getting anything back and THAT is what the heart of giving is all about.  : )

God bless you today.