A Whole Kettle of Guilt
If you've been reading my blog for a year, you know that I love Christmas. I think it is the most wonderful time of year...although I'm still not quite ready for the Christmas carols yet. The Sunday after Thanksgiving the tree and all the Christmas decorations went up with the exception of our little tree (it does have lights strung...if only I could find the extension cord). I have done 95% of the Christmas shopping done and there are wrapped gifts under the tree. And for those gifts I haven't bought I know what I'm going to get and where to go to get it so I'm feeling fairly stress free on the gift purchasing which means I'm more free to actually enjoy the holiday.
So what could cause a blemish on this otherwise supremely enjoyable time of year? The constant solicitations for charitable donations. Don't get me wrong....I believe that this time of year, above all others, is the perfect time to be charitable and to share with those that are less fortunate. The hubby and I are by no means rich, but we've enough that we can share and there's always something we can afford to do without in order to help others. So far this year we've done two shoeboxes (one for a girl and one for a boy) for the Samaritan's Purse group, bought two outfits for a 13 month old girl, given to a program that buys Christmas presents for kids in foster care and thrown change into the the Salvation Army kettle at Wal-Mart. I will also be buying a V-Tech toy for a little boy and we're doing a food box for one of the Adopt-A-Families sponsored by our church to provide a complete holiday meal.
But still when I walk by the next Salvation Army kettle and don't throw change in, I'll feel that sting of disapproval from the person ringing the bell. They won't know that I've already given to their cause and to others. I'm convinced that when I said No to the Boys & Girls club the other night at Taco Bell they spitefully gave me Mild instead of Hot sauce as a punishment. I'll feel a sting when I throw out, without opening, the mail requesting money for this charity or that (well, mostly...if I've never heard of them, I don't feel terribly guilty. Honestly, many charities out there don't do much for anyone except themselves). Because I hate the thought that there's some child out there who won't have a present under their tree or anything in their stocking or maybe they don't have a stocking. And giving the prevelance of Santa Clause and the whole Naughty/Nice fable, these kids may think that they weren't good enough to deserve anything for Christmas. I hate the thought, that while we will have three places to go on Christmas with food at each of them, that there might be a family out there who won't have much if anything to eat for Christmas. And I wish that we could do more.
But we do what we can so I'll pass on the helping of guilt for what we're not able to do.
So what could cause a blemish on this otherwise supremely enjoyable time of year? The constant solicitations for charitable donations. Don't get me wrong....I believe that this time of year, above all others, is the perfect time to be charitable and to share with those that are less fortunate. The hubby and I are by no means rich, but we've enough that we can share and there's always something we can afford to do without in order to help others. So far this year we've done two shoeboxes (one for a girl and one for a boy) for the Samaritan's Purse group, bought two outfits for a 13 month old girl, given to a program that buys Christmas presents for kids in foster care and thrown change into the the Salvation Army kettle at Wal-Mart. I will also be buying a V-Tech toy for a little boy and we're doing a food box for one of the Adopt-A-Families sponsored by our church to provide a complete holiday meal.
But still when I walk by the next Salvation Army kettle and don't throw change in, I'll feel that sting of disapproval from the person ringing the bell. They won't know that I've already given to their cause and to others. I'm convinced that when I said No to the Boys & Girls club the other night at Taco Bell they spitefully gave me Mild instead of Hot sauce as a punishment. I'll feel a sting when I throw out, without opening, the mail requesting money for this charity or that (well, mostly...if I've never heard of them, I don't feel terribly guilty. Honestly, many charities out there don't do much for anyone except themselves). Because I hate the thought that there's some child out there who won't have a present under their tree or anything in their stocking or maybe they don't have a stocking. And giving the prevelance of Santa Clause and the whole Naughty/Nice fable, these kids may think that they weren't good enough to deserve anything for Christmas. I hate the thought, that while we will have three places to go on Christmas with food at each of them, that there might be a family out there who won't have much if anything to eat for Christmas. And I wish that we could do more.
But we do what we can so I'll pass on the helping of guilt for what we're not able to do.
