’Tis the Season – Happy Hallo-Thanks-Christmas!
My sense of the holidays became discombobulated this past week! Perhaps you’ve noticed it also. I mean what’s the appropriate greeting? Trick or Treat, Happy Thanksgiving or Merry Christmas?
My taste buds are equally confused. Should I finish off the last of my Halloween candy, anticipate the aroma of a freshly baked pumpkin pie or will some Braum’s egg nog magically appear in the refrigerator?
Face it, the end of October and the first week of November seems to increasingly be the time of year where we want to speed things up (as if things aren’t moving fast enough already)! The last 60 days of the calendar are packed full of a year’s worth of events and messaging.
Case in point, shopping in Stein Mart recently, Halloween decorations were 75% off, thankfulness trinkets and swag filled the shelves, and yet Santa and Christmas had already arrived in force!
In shorts and flip flops, listening to Christmas music and considering some halloween deals, I browsed the Christmas ties on a November day where Texas set a heat record! It was confusing but one thing is for sure, retailers have mastered the art of the holiday buying cycle!
And retailers aren’t the only ones. Sensing the annual finish line for donations and bottom lines, charities, churches, and other non-profits know that statistically speaking, more financial gifts and charitable donations are made in the last two months of the year than any other time. These year end donations can make or break a charitable entity for the coming year.
I feel that pressure. This week along with the retailing enticement came many emails, social media posts, and mailings from many wonderful organizations in which generous families such as ours can financially give to good works. I wish I could give to everyone!
And thus comes the choice we at Loving Community have to make. Do we hang out our holiday banner of our ministry’s opportunities and needs or not?
And I’m conflicted. On the one hand I rub shoulders with lots of folks who rightly or wrongly believe “do-gooders” always have their hand out. On the other hand I daily interact with kids who are hungry, families who are broken, refugees who are displaced, and senior adults who are lonely. As a community ministry and pastor we believe that we advocate for 61,000 people in our zip code, many with great need and no faith connection.
And so by my words and this blog I think I’ve answered my question, right?
Following in the footsteps and the words of John the disciple, he said, “This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks!” ~ John 16:24 The Message
And so in this season of Happy Hallo-Thanks-Christmas we are asking the Father in keeping with his plans to provide via the generosity of others for the needs of Loving Community as we invest in our city and help meet the needs of the least, the lost, and the lonely.
We would welcome your generosity and all financial gifts to Loving Community, a 501(c)(3) public charity are tax deductible. You can make a financial donation by clicking on the following link: https://loving-community.net/donation/
Live humbly and kind,
Jim
