Check It Out: Angel Tree

There seems to really be an increased focus on giving this Christmas. I think it's partially because we're so blessed to be surrounded by people who do give to others. I think it's also because giving is way down, and these organizations are desperate to fulfill their primary goal of helping others in need.

I've read a couple of articles recently on making Christmas focused primarily on giving to others and using an advent calendar to come up with ways to give Jesus gifts, because it is His birthday we're celebrating here, right? I don't necessarily agree with everything that was said in each article. We do enjoy Santa and love giving and getting gifts, but we want our children to understand more of what it means to give than to get!

You may remember me posting about a few needs here and here. Since then, Paul and I have come up with a few ideas that our family would like to do. He plans to take Addie to deliver coffee to the gate guards at the air force base where he works on Christmas morning. We're hoping to deliver coffee and bagels to our neighborhood fire station and church office. Again, I don't tell you these things to say look what we're doing. I tell you these things because we want others to get involved! We want others to be blessed by serving. And we want those ever growing needs of precious families around us to be met!

I remember when I was growing up that my mom used to have us pick two angels off the Angel Tree at church. We'd shop for an outfit and a toy for the child and return it to the church for delivery. I'm not sure I completely understood what Angel Tree was, but I do now. And it did teach me a lot about giving to others!

Here's a quick excerpt from their site:

Every child has a story. For 1.5 million American children, that story is filled with the abandonment, loneliness, and shame that comes from having a mom or dad in prison. At Angel Tree, we find ways to reach out to these children, by sharing Christ's love with them at Christmas and by developing year-round relationships. In the end, it's so much more than giving Christmas gifts-it's about restoring families.

As I was listening to the real radio today (because my free Sirius radio has run out), I heard a plea for help from the Angel Tree organization. There are many churches who adopt and commit to sponsoring children, but there are apparently still 50,000 children nationwide who live in rural areas where churches are not sponsoring! That's 50,000 children who might not have a Christmas...at all.

I know. You can say, well it's their parent's fault for landing themself in jail. But...is that the child's fault? Or even the spouses? I seriously doubt it. And is that really the attitude we should have as Christians?

So, I'm asking you to consider visiting their site.

Its way easy to sponsor a child. You can choose the state and the age. You decide how many you'd like to sponsor for a Christmas gift, age appropriate Bible, and a message from their parent who is incarcerated. It was perfect for us because I can't shop right now! I'm so much better, but I still don't have the energy! It's a gift that each of these children more than deserve!

Please consider sharing some ideas your family is doing or has done for others by leaving comments! You can even share them anonymously! I have a feeling another friend might even let me share her post I think she's writing on sponsoring Compassion International Children! It's a wonderful way to share ideas with others, big and small, that cost a little something to nothing at all!

So what are you giving to Jesus for His birthday?