The Ultimate Gift

My all time favorite movie is The Blind Side.
A wonderful story of real life NFL player, Michael Orr.
A family took in a huge high school kid and gave him a home.
They raised him like their own.
When people doubted the safety of their family, they didn't think twice.
They gave this boy a home, a future and loving family that would always be there.
I cry every time I watch this movie.
To me this is a current day example of giving.
They gave so much, their money, their reputation, their comfort, the list could go on.

In a world of internet and social media it makes it easy to give.
It is easy to check off our checklist of "gifts".
It is easy to feel pretty good about ourselves when all our shopping is done.
But true giving is not easy.
True Giving requires sacrifice.

True Giving is a child giving every penny they have to buy another child a present who has nothing.
True Giving is stopping what you are doing in the middle of a busy day and really listening to a person in need.
It is giving up luxury items to be a parent to your child.
It is dropping off a warm, home cooked meal to a woman who has 3 kids and has just lost her husband.
It is a perfect, undeserving Man, dying a gruesome death on a cross to save people who betrayed and still betray Him to this day.

That is giving!

Biblical Giving is sacrificing a part of you to give to someone in need.
This Christmas how will you give?
Will you give more toys and stuff to your child?
Will you give Amazon direct shipped gifts?
Or will you use that money and effort to make a difference in someone who truly needs something?
What do you want your Christmas to look like?

I know we all have Christmas traditions that we don't want to change.
But maybe make new traditions.
Maybe get together as a family and give to a family who can't afford heat this winter.
Maybe make a huge Christmas meal and take it to a family who needs to eat.
Maybe we should show our kids what true, sacrificial, Jesus giving is all about.

Maybe we should all put together our Christmas present money and give to a family in need across the world.  Give them blankets, give them seeds to grow their food, give them things we take for granted everyday.
We all know how to do it, it just isn't comfortable.

Let's get uncomfortable.  Let's do something completely different.
Let's truly GIVE!

What will you do this Christmas to make it different?
Check out THIS wonderful option that will give to others.