Merry Christmas to all!I hope that you have had a meaningful day spending time with those you love and thinking of those you can’t be with. I know that I am stuffed from lunch and have just had a serving of fruit trying to make sure I keep getting those protectors despite all the promoters I enjoyed!
During the holiday season, I find myself thinking more about the gift of love that God sent to us. I then have to question how well I do at passing that love on to others, both ones that I know and ones that I don’t.
This evening my family and I served dinner at the local Salvation Army shelter. It was a meaningful experience, everyone that we served with was very kind and those that we served were both nice and gracious. There was plenty of food and unfortunately we had to throw a lot of food away because there was too much to keep. Even Krispy Kreme had donated more than 50 dozen donuts!
Unfortunately, a lot of the food that is available for low-income is what we call “nutrient poor” and “calorie dense”. Basically this means that there are lots of calories and few beneficial nutrients. This leads to the paradox that exists when people with less access to money and food are actually overweight.
Mainly I am reminded from this experience that there are people that need to be served every day of the year, and are often forgotten when it’s not the “season of giving”. I know that I am guilty of this. There are so many volunteers around this time of year that they have to turn people away. However, during the rest of the year there is a shortage.
I want to do better at serving those that are often forgotten or ignored. In the coming year feel free to ask me how that’s going and to keep me accountable:) I encourage you to do the same, find your local organization and see what they need. Is it goods, money, volunteers? Can you help?
This will lead up nicely to my blog on New Year’s resolutions!!
Merry Christmas!
– Julie
