I am like a kid at Christmas. As I’ve said already in an earlier entry, I love the lights, (and I have mine lit all day), the spirit of giving, the carols on the radio and the joy that most people feel at the holiday season. I even love visiting the malls and hearing the carols playing through the loud speaker system.
But there are millions who fail to find the joy in the season because of their personal circumstances, circumstances that are unfortunate through no fault of their own. I watched on the nightly news this evening a wonderful story about a young boy who started giving sandwiches to the homeless vets in his town when he was a child. He has continued this program and it has grown, of course. He doesn’t just collect food to be shared at Christmas but every day. And thousands of lives have been changed and blessed by it. Perhaps millions more will be changed now too from having watched his story.
It takes only one person to affect change that’s lasting. Margaret Mead said this. So did Mother Teresa. Caring enough to lift the spirits of one person ignites the flame of hope that can burn brightly for years. Who knows what the future has in store for this young boy but his commitment to making life better for others will surely ease his own path if ever he falters. What we give away does come back to us. Many times over.
