The Christmas season is fast approaching. Once again it’s time to make your gift list and begin the search for the perfect gifts. It’s often hard to find the gift that is needed and wanted without losing the element of surprise. I know in the midst of the hectic season I have forgotten the real blessings of giving a gift with love.
We can look to children to remind us of the joy we should have when giving a gift. I can’t count how many times a child has come running up to me with a huge smile on their face, a glint of shear delight in their eyes, and handed me a simple drawing on a piece of paper. Looking at their faces you may have thought they were giving me a Rembrandt painting but the simple and childish drawing was created just for me. I’ll hang it on the fridge but it will never go in a museum. The most precious thing about the gift was the joy of the child’s loving heart.
Are you like me? Have you found the task of gift shopping stressful and taking the JOY out of giving? Maybe it’s time to rethink your gift list.
SWAN will be offering alternative gifts at various events throughout the holiday season. You can make a donation toward music lessons for our enrolled children in honor of your friends and family members. You’ll have the joy of giving something special and different while also giving a precious gift to a vulnerable child. This thoughtful gift significantly helps break the cycle of crime in children’s lives.
We hope you will consider giving an alternative gift this year. You can find us at the “Gifts that Give Hope Fair” on Saturday November 17th and at the “Home for the Holidays” event at The Family Center of Gap, which runs every Saturday from November 17th – December 22nd. We look forward to seeing you during this holiday season and trust that you’ll remember the joy of giving!