The Greatest Christmas Gift, Ever: Love Others

The Christmas season is upon us and many different themes come to mind when thinking of this time of year. Christmas often allows us to reminisce of Christmases of old; of happy holiday times when we were younger. Sometimes, we reflect on what transpired in the last year or two and thank God for His many blessings. We are joyful for family and friends that we gather with and remember those that are no longer with us. The air is thick with Christmas tradition, whatever that might look like for each of us: sipping hot cocoa and peering into a fireplace, watching our favorite Elf movie over and over and over again, hugging close relatives and catching up with the intimate details of their lives.

But what if we no longer have family and friends to share life with? Or a warm and cozy home to decorate in festive fashion? What happens when this time of celebration becomes a period of weeks or months or years of tragedy? Where are the blessings when all we can see is our rapidly declining health; when we lost our house or apartment because of a loss of income? We all have a relative or two that we might not see eye to eye with, or a certain Christmas food dish you would rather not see this December 25th, but this pales in comparison to the heartache and misfortune that many homeless people are confronted with year after year, Christmas season after Christmas season.

I am so very thankful for those that selflessly contribute with a servant heart to others in need. I am delighted to know that people in this world care for those that do not have a proper support system in place. I am glad to hear or read or watch a story of a man or a woman in a terrible situation being treated with love and grace and kindness because, after all, isn’t this what God call us to be to one another? God can take a terrible, broken, hopeless situation and turn it into something so beautiful, something so amazingly wonderful and beyond anything we can imagine on our own. And He usually does this through people; through their kindness, their generosity, and their selflessness.

Matthew 25: 31 – 40 states “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”
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My charge to you this December 25th (and, really, any day of the year): be a friend to the friendless, speak up and talk to someone who looks like they need to hear encouragement, buy someone a meal, donate something of value to someone in need, shake a hand and give a hug to a man or woman that makes you feel uncomfortable to be around, show love to a stranger, or reach out in a multitude of different ways to those in need – locally or far away – and be a part of something bigger than yourself. And do it all without expecting anything else in return. We can all answer God’s calling and help give hope and restoration to people that are hurting!

Author: Brandon Montague, Findlay City Mission

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