It’s that time of year again. Christmas is just around the corner and the hustle & bustle of this season is in full swing. You notice how many Christmas commercials there are on TV in which there seems no end to all the materialism that is promoted. You notice the increased stress this season brings when Black Friday shopping is at its peak. You notice all the decorations and lighted Christmas trees & displays are hastily assembled.
You may look back with fondness your Christmas traditions. You recall the giving of gifts and celebrated events that ushered in fun & the anticipation of the holiday. Christmas is a very special time for children all over the world who await with great anticipation the morning when gifts are exchanged.
For over a half million children in the United States alone, this tradition is important because it is a tangible way of showing children and teens God‘s love. Children who are vulnerable to abuse & neglect often feel the stress and are physically at risk of harm as mothers and fathers react to stress in abusive ways. Christmas is often a time that raises levels of stress and anxiety, especially with children from homes of the domestic violence, child abuse, and neglect.
Christmas can be a great time to show children in tangible ways the spirit of this holiday. Often missed by vulnerable children, this season can be a great way to demonstrate God’s love, when families are more open to charity & goodwill in the Name of Jesus.
Organizations and community groups promote the collection of funds and opportunities to sponsor children in need with Christmas gifts. International organizations like Samaritan’s Purse will collect millions of shoe boxes filled with tangible items that demonstrate the Love of God in children all over the world. The Salvation Army will have thousands of Bell Ringers collecting donations at Red Kettles across America as well as internationally. Community groups and social service agencies promote the collection of tangible items that can make Christmas possible for at-risk families who struggle to make ends meet. Additionally, foster care and adoption organizations like White's Residential & Family Services (Residential & Foster Care) provide additional opportunities.
It reminds us today that purchasing gifts for vulnerable children & youth is important. When children are displaced from their homes and places in foster care or other kinship care, they often are bringing everything they have in a black plastic bag! They may own a comfort toy but it will usually be torn, worn, and often looking like it needs replaced. Yet, the bond to their comfort toy is all they have to hold onto when they are frightened and confused especially as they enter into a stranger’s home; foster care is often a very unfamiliar place. Everything they know is suddenly taken away.
Christmas is one way to tangibly show care in significant ways. While you will never want to replace their existing comfort toy (s), and can introduce a needy child to other toys that bring comfort. Showing God’s love in the giving of good gifts is likened to our God who provided us tangible expressions of His love.
James 1:17 -- Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
