Christmas .....it is in the little things

Since Megan has had sweet baby Abram...and he is the sweetest thing!!  I have been super busy.  But I have managed to get my house decorated and some shopping done and some baking done and some gifts wrapped and a whole list of other stuff.  And that is just it.  Stuff.  All of that should be on the bottom of my "Christmas" list and doing what I got to do last Thursday on the top of my list.  Our ladies group at church collects money all year.  Normally we adopt a needy family in the community and provide Christmas for their children and help the parents with a bill or two.  This year we decided to spend our 600.00 on some of the seniors at our own church.  So my dear friend, Sherry, and I went Thursday and bought gas cards and grocery cards for five seniors.  Two were widows, one widower and two married couples.  The two couples are pretty housebound so we also bought them some groceries because we got a huge snow storm this weekend.  When we visited them to drop off their cards both Sherry and I came away so very blessed.  At a couple of them we just cried.  These are the men and women who were and are our mentors.  Our "Faithful Leaders".  Our church pillars.  People I know who have prayed for me!  It was such an honor to help them.  I truly feel the Lord laid each one of these folks on our hearts so that they could still be the encouragers they so desire to be.  Our prayer was to make the Christmas season to be a little brighter for these precious people.  They all said it was such a blessing but both Sherry and I went away with the bigger blessing.  And that is how our Lord works.  You think you give but then He gives so much more.  Why do I let myself get all bogged down with the stuff of the season that really doesn't matter?  I don't know.  I do it every single year.  Don't get me wrong.  I adore the decorations, the baking, the gift buying.  I even love the crowds!  All the programs at church and the things going on in the community.  But just sitting down and talking with these sweet people.  It lifted my spirit and soul like nothing else.  Sherry looked at me at one of the couples house and said, "That will be us with our husbands one day.  Or them with us."  She is so right.  I just hope and pray that when we are 95 and 94 that I can still cater to my sweet husband with the same sweet spirit as the couple I watched.  So in all the hub-bub of Christmas please.....slow down.  Take the time....and yes, you have it.  And talk to someone that is alone.  Make someones' day a little brighter with a small gift card of some sort.  Even those that you do not think need it......they may surprise you and really do need it.  A smile and a hug cost you nothing.