A Significant Christmas

WHAT COULD YOU DO - that you don't usually do - to carry out the real meaning of Christmas this year? That was the question I recently asked several friends. In random order, their responses are shown below.

* Helping serve a meal to the homeless

* Donate to food banks
* Participant in church projects for the poor
* Carry a couple of extra 50s for helping others in need
* Help serve Christmas dinner at Intervention Ministries^ and assist in their program
* Get involved in Christmas programs at nursing homes
* Focus on ministry opportunities at assisted living complexes
* Taking our dog Luci (with permission) for assisted living residents to enjoy
* Donate to the "Smile Train"^ for cleft surgeries to children all over the world
* Be more open and more observant to the needs of others
* Let Christ love others through me
* Lifting up in prayer the hopes and needs of others
* Being there when needed
* Serving in whatever manner God calls me to serve
* Allow the gift of God in Christmas to work through me for others
* Providing helpfulness and assistance to others
* Help collect food items for feeding the hungry
* Taking sacks of groceries to families in need

* Giving away Bibles or New Testaments

* Sharing a Christian witness and words of encouragement

* Carrying-in a meal for a family to enjoy

* Opening my home to college students for a meal

* Buying gifts for a family in need

* Paying for a family's meal in a restaurant

* Wrapping gifts for donations to be given to local charities

* Assembling gift bags for nursing home residents

Chances are, doing any one - or more - of the things mentioned above would not keep us from enjoying our own traditional celebration of Christmas. But, doing even one extra thing to help carry out the real meaning of Christmas just might make it a significant Christmas - and one of our very best! And, there's no doubt whatsoever, that it would be an excellent use of our free time.

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 ^The Web address for the "Smile Train" is http://www.smiletrain.org/. Intervention Ministries is found at http://www.interventionministries.com/. The bottom photo shows volunteers working at Called to Care: http://www.calledtocareinc.org/