Santa has a Tough Job

I went to work today expecting a normal day but I came across something that reminded me what Christmas is all about. You see, I work for a local YMCA at the front desk. Today people were dropping off gifts for a program that we are running this year that is similar to an angel tree. People can adopt needy families from the area to buy gifts for. People kept coming in and I directed them to the room to drop off gifts. About half an hour before my shift was supposed to end I went down to the room. The room was filled with presents wrapped in colorful wrapping paper. If I ever saw Santa's workshop this just might be what it would look like. I have never seen so many gifts before in my life. Just looking at all of these gifts made my heart fill with joy. And then I saw her.

One woman amongst all of these presents. She told me that all of the gifts that had been brought in needed to be sorted and she was the only volunteer that had come to get them ready to be taken to the families. She had been in that room for hours working to sort hundreds of gifts for the many children and families that could not afford anything this year. I went and made sure they didn't need me anymore at the front desk and I sat in that room for the next hour talking to the woman and helping her sort all of the gifts.

The woman in that room was a very giving person. I don't know if she brought any gifts for the children but I know that she gave a lot of time to getting those gifts to them and she expected nothing in return. I can't imagine what this world would be like without people like her and the people that brought gifts for the families. They are examples of the true meaning of Christmas.

Over 2000 years ago a child was given to us. And that child grew into a man who payed the ultimate price for our sins. He gave his life expecting nothing in return. It was a gift from the heart. It was a gift from God.

Giving, in it's purest form, expects nothing in return

What are you willing to give?