This Christmas was an incredible one.
We went into the Christmas season knowing that we would not be going on any "fun trips" or shopping for gifts to surprise our children with on Christmas morning. We would, instead, begin sorting through all of our worldly possessions to pack up what we would be keeping, donate what we wouldn't, and prepare our home to be listed for sale.
We would be doing all of this with no idea of what the outcome would be.
We don't yet know if the house will sell, or how long it will take. We don't even know how much we can sell it for. We don't know if there will be anything to put in the bank when it is all said and done, or if we will just break even. We don't know where we will be going to live. We don't know if we will be renting or buying. We don't know if we can even afford to do either.
All we know is that God is GOOD. Even in this, God is GOOD.
So, we are moving forward, taking one step at a time, putting our trust and hope in His goodness and letting Him do the rest.
In the midst of this struggle, in the chaos of it all, God is the calm. He is in control and He knows our needs. He has a plan for us. A good plan. And this Christmas He gave us several examples of just how much He loves us.
This "season of blessings" began with our church asking us if we wanted to be included in this year's "Giving Tree". We asked for some time to pray about it as a family. See, we usually have each of our children pick a name off of the tree and they get to pick out the "perfect gift" to match that child's need. This year, our children would be on that tree.
We don't usually have a big Christmas, gift wise. We get the kids each one thing they want and something to wear, so not having a real budget for their Christmas gifts this year wasn't going to have that much of an impact. Yes, they did have a few needs, clothing wise, and of course a few wants. ;) We decided that we would accept this incredible opportunity, not just to "have presents under the tree" for our kids, but for our children to personally experience God's provision in their lives.
So, we filled out the form, answering questions about their clothing needs, with sizes and color preferences, and their interests/hobbies with a "want" or two as options and we turned our information in to the church.
We were back and fourth on whether or not we should buy a gift for one of the precious children on the tree even though our children were included, but ultimately, we felt that we were being called to continue to give, even though we didn't have the funds to give to 3 children this year. So the kids chose the tag they wanted to shop for and we set off to bless that precious child as much as we could.
It's funny how God works all things for the good of His children. We hunted and hunted for the perfect gifts for the child on our tag. We were able to get twice as much as we expected with the money we had. The kids each got to pick out a couple things for each need listed on the tag. It was such a blessing to see God multiply the money we had, to provide even more than we imagined we could.
We received the gifts for our children the week before Christmas and placed them under the tree along with gifts from their grandparents.
On Christmas eve, we had the awesome opportunity to take our children to a local park and serve an amazing Christmas dinner to the homeless in our community. It was such a wonderful experience. Seeing our community come together to make such an incredible meal, provide gift bags with little things that most of us wouldn't even think about, and bless our brothers and sisters who don't even have so many of the things we all take for granted was beautiful to see. Seeing our children learning how to show love to those they don't even know without judgement, in the way Jesus asked us to serve, was a gift I could not have given them on my own without the hearts of the incredible group of people who work tirelessly throughout the week to provide meals, free laundry services, socks, hats, tents, blankets, sleeping bags and mats and so much more. They are an example of what loving others truly looks like.
On Christmas morning, our kids were blessed in the most incredible way. Not only did they receive some of the things they had hoped for from their grandparents, but every single need and want listed on the church form was provided and in a BIG way. Everything they were given was beyond anything we expected or would have asked for and to top it off, the amazing people from our church blessed us with gift cards to take kids out to dinner, a movie, a gas card and a grocery card. God even blessed us with money we needed as gifts from family.
In every way, this Christmas, was beyond anything we have ever experienced before and none of it came as a result of our own planning or trying. It all came from our Father who loves us and delights in giving us good gifts. He showed our children what loving others looks like and He provided the opportunity for them to learn how to serve. He multiplied the money we had so He could bless another child. He put it on the hearts of those who blessed us to go above and beyond anything we could have expected. He blessed our children through the love of their grandparents. He blessed us through the love of our parents and His amazing provision for our children.
The love shown to our family, through family, through the church and from God will never be something we will forget. Our children will always remember what God did for our family this Christmas and will forever have the experience of seeing Him provide for all of their needs and even their wants.
Y'all, we have a Father that loves us deeply and fiercely and there are no limits to His goodness. <3
Be blessed, y'all.
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