Eucharisteo Day 19... Because most of us have more than enough.

Then the King will say... 

     ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’  

     “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

     “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ 

-Matthew 25:34-40 (NLT)

Well, the holidays have hit. A trip to Target yesterday confirms it. 

I don’t know what it is about the holidays. I don’t know if it’s all the ‘traditional’ elements, the hoopla of the decorating, the flashing lights, the glitzy adds, the push to buy, buy, buy that sends me into a funk that borders the likes of Scrooge.  Now don’t get me wrong, I do put up a Christmas tree, love “It’s a Wonderful Life”, make a killer cheese ball & purchase gifts for my kids… & I’m certainly, not trying to push an anti-tradition, down with commercialism ideology… I just want people to be thoughtful about what they are doing, especially this time of year. 

Yesterday, I came across these few photos, pinned on Pinterest by a friend of mine… 

Beware… They are not for the faint of heart… trust me, my heart still hurts just thinking about them.  

Please understand that I’m not re-posting these here to shock you, to be a Debby Downer or to crush your holiday spirit. I just want us to be careful that in our zeal to create a perfect holiday for those closest to us, that we don’t miss the opportunity we have to minister to the least of these…  

I mean, what if this year, you chose as a family, to pare down & give what you would have spent to someone that has nothing?  What if you bought a goat for a family in Africa or rescued a child from slavery or sent them to school or put shoes on their feet? What if you chose to serve in a soup kitchen or took some time to visit a hospital or a nursing home? What if you donated food to the food shelf, coats to a coat drive, or gifts to a child in your community that won’t get one? 

Would giving in this way change you? 

There is no doubt in my mind that it would. 

 Cause really… do we really NEED one more thing under the Christmas tree for ourselves?

 “For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved. 

 (RESV - Richard E. Stearns Version)”-Richard E. Stearns,The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect of Us? the Answer That Changed My Life and Might Just Change the World