As we are in the season of Advent, I am in the midst of Christmas boxes! Boxes of clothes, toys, stuffed animals, wooden toys, scarves, toiletries, Bibles...and the list goes on and on...this is CAP's annual Christmas distribution. In my county, we are providing Christmas for 128 families with children, and 22 elderly families. On December 19, we will have a Christmas service and then distribute these boxes of gifts. The four other counties that CAP serves in our area will have distributions earlier in the week for their 100+ families. So as long as I make it through that week! Pray that I remember the joy in the celebration of Christmas and what a true blessing it is to provide Christmas to these families, and not get caught up in the stress of organizing it.

I wanted to share my day on Friday. I had a busy morning and then had made an appointment to get my oil changed in my truck in Berea, which is about 20 min. away. That morning, I called a woman who had been in need of a couch and asked her to call and let me know she needed it before I left after lunch. I had been told about a couch that was being donated by a woman in Berea, so I wanted to pick it up while I was there. However, the woman did not call and I did not get back from Berea until 4:00 because my oil change took 2 hours. When I got back to the office, I checked my messages--all three were from the woman needing the couch. So, I called the donor, and she really wanted to have the couch moved out so she could use her garage, where it was being stored. So....I grudgingly rounded up help and headed back to Berea. I was frustrated that I had to waste gas to go back to Berea and that the woman did not call when I asked. And that I had to give up my Friday afternoon after a long week (I'm supposed to get off at 4:30). But, the two volunteers who came to help me were so generous and reminded me why I was here....to serve. That night when we delivered the couch to the lady in her trailer, it was filled with people. And they had no couch. What was amazing was how perfect it fit in their small trailer (it was long couch, 8.5 ft, and too long for my truck bed)! They were so appreciative, and I realized how lucky I am to have a job where I can directly meet the needs of deserving people who need help. I was reminded to "fix my gaze on things that cannot be seen" (2 Cor. 4:18). May we all be generous with our time and relationships this Christmas season!