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PROGRAM D-8252
Have you made out your Christmas gift list yet? I have great gift ideas for you this week—things that will fit in anybody’s stockings and will be the perfect size for everyone on your list. My first gift idea was the gift of a listening ear. Here’s idea number two: Give a helping hand.
Jesus said that whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (Mark 10:43). We are called as Christ-followers to serve as he did. So what acts of service could you do this Christmas for some unexpecting person? One intentional act of offering a helping hand could absolutely make someone’s Christmas the best ever!
It might be something you do for a sick or disabled person whom you know. It might be doing some shopping for or with a widow or widower. Or perhaps someone who is lonely. You could design a card that says something like, “My gift to you this year is to do something that would be helpful to you. I can clean your house, cook you a meal, take you shopping, wash your car—and any number of other acts of service from which you can choose. This card is your ticket for my helping hand. Just let me know what you’d like me to do.”
In Acts 9:36 we read, “In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.” Always doing good and helping poor people—what a reputation to have! There are lots of ways to help poor people these days. You could serve a meal at a shelter, or volunteer at a charity.
How about babysitting for an exhausted single mom so she can have a night to herself? Many cannot afford babysitters, so this would be a very helpful gift.
There are so many creative ways to give a helping hand, and so many needy people. I have no doubt that you can come up with the perfect gift for someone you know. All it takes is a little time and a caring heart.