What is in a Gift?
What’s in a Gift?
Around this time of year, we have the word “gift” on our minds. We seem to start months before Christmas looking for the perfect gift or finding that special gift at the best price of the year. I have known of parents saving all year to buy that one extraordinary gift for their child. Many times, we look for that unique gift that no one else in the world will ever possess. I like handmade gifts or a letter, something that you have to take time to invest in. As a child I would always tell my Mama, when she asked what I wanted for Christmas, “I’ll be happy with whatever I get”. She did not like this answer. She would much rather hear my brother’s response with exact details including color, shape, size and edition. My Daddy would always get her what she asked for but was always surprised when she guessed it by shaking the box. They were so cute and funny.
When my girls were growing up, we wrote letters to Santa with a couple of gift requests, but I was always so proud when they mentioned they would be thankful with whatever gift arrived. Before they went to bed on Christmas Eve, they wrote Santa a thank you note to put beside the milk and cookies. This year my first GRANDbaby turns one right before Christmas. She is already walking and amazed with the gifts around the tree, but I think it could be the shiny paper that makes that wonderful crinkling sound that captivates her most.
Christmas, over the years, has grown into a commercialized bonanza of bigger, brighter, noisier, faster and most expensive gifts ever. Many families are choosing not to get-together to spend time playing silly games, eating those dishes that our aunt always seems to brown a bit too much or playing tag-football out in the yard beating our cousin’s team. Seems more and more that we opt out for time spent together and send some gift cards in the mail or online.
As I prayed about writing this blog post, I was led to ask myself and you, “What’s in a gift?” It is our time, talent or treasure. Are we moved to share the largest gift or the smallest? Maybe we’re moved to share a word of encouragement? Quite possibly your heartstrings might be tugged at the thought of spending quality time with someone who needs a friend?
As you ponder these questions, might I motivate you to consider giving a gift to Champion Recovery Community? We are serving women in our community who are suffering from crisis. For some of our ladies they suffer from trauma, could be physical, mental or both. Other ladies suffer from addiction, could be from drugs, sex, violence or abuse. Yet for several of our women in recovery, they deal with co-dependency issues. Our goal is to help them re-enter our community celebrating the freedom from the chains that have had them bound with job skills sharpened to self-sustain, embracing their self-worth as a life to be celebrated and hope for a better tomorrow as they continue conquering as a champion of recovery.
As you consider “what” is in your gift this year, would you ask yourself:
- could I give of my time and talent to volunteer with CRC?
- could I give of my prayer time to pray for the women in the program and those who serve them?
- could I give of my treasure and help fund this 501(c) non-profit organization?
If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, send us an email at info@championrecoverycommunity.com with your availability to serve and your talent to see where you could serve best. If you answered yes to giving of your treasure, go to our Donate page and donate now. Remember, during this time of “gifting” make sure that your time, talent or treasure is well spent, because it does make an eternal difference.
Merry Christmas Blessings,
Wendy Barrett
CRC President