socks

This morning at church our pastor told us there were Christmas trees setup in the lobby with star shaped ornaments on the tree. Each star ornament contained the age and gender of a needy child and a Christmas present that they wished for. After the service, I wandered over to the tree to pick a child for our family to adopt. I loved the idea of using this as another teachable moment for The Mayor - to teach him how we help the less fortunate. We did this earlier last month with his "Operation Christmas Child" for his school and I got so excited to think we could do it again this season. Even though our children are really too young to get it, I love telling The Mayor about how we need to help those less fortunate and teaching him the value of giving instead of just receiving.

Anyway, as I was looking at the star shaped ornaments, one of the first ones to stick out was an 11 year old boy. And his request for a Christmas present was socks. I immediately felt a twinge in my stomach as I thought about how sad for a child to wish for socks. As I continued looking at the tree and the requests for MP3 players, video games, DVDs, specific toys and even clothes, I could not get this one child out of my mind. I went back to the side of the tree and took the ornament with the 11 year old boy and his request for socks.

I wonder who this child is and what his life is like. Did his parents teach him to be practical or is this something that is just naturally built into him. I wonder if he is an older sibling and goes without so his younger siblings can have more. Of course, I will never know anything about this child except he is an 11 year old boy and his number is 148 for the organization we are partnering with for this Christmas season. But I will be praying for child #148, his family and for his future. And of course, we will buy him socks...and toys. I wish I could see his face when he opens his gift on Christmas, expecting socks but getting more and I hope he knows someone in the world is praying for him.

This is what this season is about. Emulating the love Christ has for us in others. After all, over 2000 years ago, God gave the ultimate gift. His son. And because of His son and the love He has for us, we have eternal life. There is no better gift than that.