Tags
Children, Choices, Christianity, Christmas, Compassion, faith, Family, Holidays
It has been (almost) three months since I started paid employment for two companies. Before I started I had a lot of preconceived ideas about what each of those roles would be. Boy was I wrong!! The job I thought I was going to love and that I would need as a welcome break from the mundaneness of the other, has become the one I dread going to – the one I would happily ring in sick for, if it didn’t mean letting people down. I realised today that I am quite simply BORED!! Uh-oh that is really not good.
Now the job that I was most nervous about, due to lack of previous experience (for “lack of”, read NO) and no qualifications that would help me, I have fallen in love with. I’m even becoming more of a morning person, as I enjoy going to work. Even in these cold, depressing mornings (when usually I would hide under the duvet and pretend the world didn’t exist until lunchtime) I am finding no problems getting out of bed and leaving for work. Ok maybe that’s not quite 100% true. The only problem is four children getting out of bed, well actually that’s a little unfair on two of the children – Son 1 and Son 2 are the culprits in this little saga. They are taking between an hour and 90 minutes to get out of bed. Consequently, this means I’m having to get up earlier to try and get them up so that they won’t be late to school (again, and again, and again, and….. well you get the idea!).
The work excites me. I am kept busy, but not so busy I feel like I’m drowning. The variety of work certainly keeps me on my toes. You never know who will walk through the door or phone up next. From dear old ladies that want to chat for ages about the corns on their feet or the perm they want doing but not sure “if there’s too much of the old perm left“, to disadvantaged people who just need a little practical support, the variety is never ending.
Today however, I was truly blessed by a young family that came into reception. The two boys, possibly twins, although remembering how I felt when people said that about my two boys who were born a year apart, I won’t make any assumptions. Anyway, these two boys helped their mum bring in some carrier bags of toys, the bags were roughly the same size as the children. These little voices asked me where they could put the toys for the “trildren that don’t get presents.” I was so touched by their eagerness to give something to children that I asked the mother for her address, she didn’t want to give it to me, said she didn’t need thanking or anything like that, she just wanted to give quietly and anonymously. Right there, that mother taught her small children that giving is best done from the heart, quietly and with compassion. The boys smiled at me, and I melted. “Please let me send them a Christmas Card to say thank you for helping you bring the toys in. I can do it from Santa, if you want?” Her face relaxed and she said that would be lovely. I thought I recognised the road name as being local, but no. This family had travelled 40 miles (give or take) to donate these presents as quietly as possible. Such love and blessings!
It did make me think though – how far would I be prepared to travel (physically or emotionally) to give people who need help that practical support without recognition for what I had done?
Lord, bless the family that came in today and donated toys to those who don’t look forward to the celebration of your birth. May love shine from us, as it did from those two boys. May they remain curious about the world and eager to help people less well off than them. Lord, be close to all the families that will be touched through giving or receiving presents this Christmas time. May they experience your peaceful comfort and know that you are the reason for the season.
Amen