Count Your Many Blessings

Name them one by one, Count your many blessings see what God has done...

That was one line of one of my favorite hymns growing up.  I am so blessed, and I know as do many of us, I take those blessings for granted sometimes.  This day, Christmas day, I want to reflect on all the blessings that I have, and some of those that I've lost so as not to take anymore for granted.

This year for Christmas, instead of getting my babies a bunch of toys and things that would eventually wear and tear, I decided to give them the gift of giving.  Together Jakob, Kayleigh and I created homemade Christmas cards and took them to our local nursing home to pass out to all the residents.  Each time one of my children handed out a card and told the recipient "Merry Christmas", I felt God's spirit in my heart swell up.  Not from pride, but from love.  I was so happy that my children were not only participating, but fussing about who got to hand out the next card.  Each person that got a card stopped what they were doing, and if their hands still worked, opened the card and read it right then. 

Many of the residents of the home no longer have relatives to visit them.  Some are all alone in the world.  I got to share my children with some very weary, loving people.  To see my children and interact with them made them smile.  The whole building got a card (even a few of the workers) and it might have cost a whopping 3 dollars in construction paper. 

Christmas isn't about what you spend, it isn't even about you or your kids.  Christmas is about God's son.  Jesus' life was giving.  He gave of his time, and he gave his life.  Make next Christmas about giving of something besides extravagant toys.  Show your children the true meaning of Christmas.  They won't forget it and neither will you.