One of my very favorite things about Christmas is the traditions. Growing up, my family had a tradition of playing Sandi Patty’s song “The Gift Goes On” on Christmas morning as we handed out our presents from under the tree. The lyrics say,
“And the gift goes on,
the Father gave the Son,
And the gift goes on,
the Son gave the Spirit,
And the gift goes on,
the Spirit gives us Life,
So we can give the gift of Love.
And the gift goes on and on and on.”
As cheesy as the song may now seem, those words have deeply impacted my view of giving gifts for Christmas. As my husband and I create new traditions and memories with our own children, we know that the true meaning of Christmas is not just about the presents under the tree, but the ultimate gift of Jesus that we have received. And as followers of Jesus, we know that we are called to love and give generously to others. To pass along the love, and life, and blessings that He has given to us, especially to the less fortunate and most vulnerable among us.
So as you’re making your Christmas gift lists this year and shopping for presents for those you love, I want to encourage you to start a new tradition, or continue on a tradition, of also giving generously in a way that will empower people to change their lives while also telling them about the Good News of Jesus’ birth.
The Samaritan’s Purse gift catalog offers 42 gifts you can purchase to provide practical help and hope for people in need around the world. Options include a gift of just $14 which gives a family baby chicks providing them with a source of nutrition and supplemental income or a $30 gift that will provide vocational training for a mother so she can earn income to provide for herself and her family. These types of gifts help to lift people out of poverty and provide them with hope, while also following Jesus’ teaching that whatever we have done for the least of these we have done for Him. Matthew 25:40
In many parts of the world, women and children are the most vulnerable and oppressed group of people, an issue I became increasingly passionate about while reading the amazing book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. When we can provide aid and support to woman we can transform their lives in ways that can have large ripple effects throughout their family and their community.
Samaritan’s Purse meets the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of women through programs like abuse prevention, safe migration and trafficking awareness, general and maternal health, vocational training, family counseling, and discipleship. In Cambodia specifically, Samaritan’s Purse educates some 12,000 women each month on Maternal Infant Child Health including nutrition, safe motherhood training, malnutrition screening of pregnant women and children under five years old, and training of midwives in antenatal care.
When we help to educate and empower women, it is a gift that keeps on giving – to their children, their families, and their community. You can help to provide that training and support for women and children through the Samaritan’s Purse gift catalog as well as give them the gift of The Gospel this Christmas!
Whether your family gives one gift together, or you let your children each pick out a gift from the gift catalog to give, I hope you will make generous giving to those who are less fortunate and most vulnerable a part of your family’s gift giving tradition this year. It’s a gift that will go on, and on, and on.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Samaritan’s Purse. All opinions are my own.
Leave a Reply