Sharing hope.

Every year around this time, a magical little catalog arrives on our doorstep. It is usually sandwiched between colorful Toys-R-Us leaflets, K-mart adds, and Target flyer's boasting beautiful new toys. As soon as I see it, I make myself a cup of tea and peel open its cover.

I immediately find half a dozen things I want to buy...

It's the World Vision Gift Catalog, and it is splendid. Its pages are full of gifts you can purchase for people who you will never meet on this side of eternity. Life sustaining animals for a family in Uganda, education for a child in Ghana, clean water for a village in Niger... an orphanage for children or a safe place for exploited young women...

These things seem so far removed from our cozy little world here in the US. It is as if human suffering is just a bad dream that only exists in our imaginations...We hurry our days with shopping and wrapping and decorating and sometimes it is easy to pretend that that is what everyone everywhere is doing...sadly, it isn't.

Now that I am a momma, I am more determined then ever for my family to grow up knowing that Christmas is a time of giving, not just receiving. And that the hope that lies within us, the birth of our Savior two-thousand years ago, needs to shine brighter than the twinkle lights on our Christmas tree. Its beams have got to cross oceans, climb mountains, and descend valleys...and they need to come hand in hand with a hot meal, warm blanket, and drink of water.

That is why I love the opportunity that World Vision gives to us at Christmastime. With the simple click of a mouse, we can fill our virtual baskets with life-changing gifts and know that somewhere across the world someone is feeling the love of Christ.

This Christmas morning as we open gifts as a family, there will be a few little mementos that represent our world vision gifts, thing like...

This little wooden ornament that represents a "New Mother & Baby Kit" for a momma living in poverty...a gift I bought with our little one in mind. As I deliver our baby in a few months, I want to know that somewhere there is another mom holding a new baby, wrapped in a blanket that our gift provided and covered in prayers from our family.

And this little felt goat which represents the "Goat and 2 Chickens" we bought for a family on Hunter's behalf... I am excited to add to his collection as the years go by, and explain to him how important it is to give to others, even when we can't see them:)

 

Merry Christmas Season Everyone!

Now go "buy" some hope and say a prayer for the ones who will receive it!