Candy-Grams


Have you ever met someone and instantly connected? That is what happened in NC when I met my very dear friend, Joanne Kraft, from Blessed and Grace and Truth Living. Though we live a continent apart, it’s as if she’s right next door. Her writing is filled with humor, and today – a little lump in the throat.


 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a child is given. Isaiah 9:6

For God so loved the world that He gave…John 3:16



Unfolding a piece of paper, Grace began reading off a list of names. “Jaden, Michael, Jake, Brittany, and Jessie…”

“What are you doing honey?” I asked.

“Our school is selling candy-grams, Mom. For $1.00 I can send a message and have a candy cane delivered to someone’s home room.” She smiled.

I know all of Grace’s closest friends and had never heard these names before. At eleven-years-old, her only income came from occasional babysitting jobs. Five dollars might very well clean out her piggy bank.

“Sweetheart, who are these children? Aren’t you getting one for Mackenzie?”

“I decided to do something different. Mackenzie is still one of my best friends, but she will get lots of candy grams. I decided to send them to kids in my school who might not get one.”

A lump began to form in my throat.

“Jaden is autistic. He sits by himself at lunch. Michael is really, really smart and gets made fun of by the popular kids. Jake is the boy I told you about at the library, the one who walks kind of funny, remember? He offered to give me his seat and girls walked by him and whispered, Jake-alert. Jake-alert. I could tell he felt bad. Kids encouraged Brittany to dance at lunch last week. She thought they were being nice, but they were really being mean. And, Jessie, well she is kind of chubby and sits by herself in class and doesn’t talk much.”

My child went on and on with her reasons for giving—I couldn’t help but whisper a prayer of thanks for my daughters’ heart. “What are you going to write in their message?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. I think I’m just going to write, Merry Christmas – God Loves You.”

“I’m sure they will love it.” I reached out and pulled her in for a hug.

God so loved the world that He gave. This Christmas season encourage your children to give anonymously. Lead by example and show them how it’s done.


• Drop off a plate of cookies on your neighbor’s front porch, ring their doorbell and run!


• Write out a Christmas card for someone and fill it with reasons why this person is loved by you. Don’t sign your name. Have your child address it and drop it in the mail.


• Take your child with you to the grocery store. Have them help you pick out food for someone in you know is hurting financially. Let your child drop the bag off at the house.

Remember, we are loved by a God who gives lavishly. Let’s remember to touch the lives of someone in His name by giving.

Who can you give to this holiday season?

.


Touched By An Angel

… some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2

Last night, we celebrated the birthday of our dear friend, Mark. Friends and family gathered together with lots of food, music, and laughter as we shared memories of the funny and poignant times spent with Mark.

For years, my daughter and her friends honestly believed that Mark was an angel. Many other children believed that as well. It was easy to believe. In fact, I believe it myself 🙂

Mark was and is a prayer warrior. Years ago, before one of my first speaking engagements, I was terrified. Put me in a circle of friends, and I can jabber all day. But standing in front of people is another story. You’ve heard that public speaking is the #1 fear in this country, right? It’s a studied fact. The #2 fear in this country is death. That means that at a funeral the average person would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy! Ok, that last sentence was borrowed from Jerry Seinfeld, but it’s true, isn’t it! I still get butterflies when I have to speak, but I’ve learned that the fear keeps me on my knees and not relying in my own strength which is a good thing. But anyway…. Here I was, knees buckling, stomach churning, reviewing my notes endlessly. And Mark called to let me know he was praying for me. I hadn’t asked him to pray. He just knew the need, and his call letting me know that he was praying could not have been more welcome. Here was this man of God praying for a women’s event!

There’s so much more I could say about this faithful servant and friend, but let me ask you: do you have a Mark in your life? If you are as blessed as my friends and I, please be sure to thank your angel. And share a comment of how that special person has blessed your life.

Be Our Guest! Wow – I’m a Guest!

I'm a Blessed Guest!

One of the best things about blogging is the friendships you develop in the “blog-o-sphere.”  My friend, Joanne from California, is one of those friends. We met at the She Speaks conference when I had no idea what I was even doing there. It was a God thing, to be sure. It was part of my “Get Smart” year where God opened doors for me, like the opening credits of the TV show and movie where Maxwell Smart walked through doors he didn’t open. For the first time in my life, I (like Max) walked through doors rather than run the other direction. Joanne, a gifted writer, was there to meet me after walking through the doors, an accomplished Agent 99 to my bumbling Maxwell Smart.

After initially meeting over lunch, we sat in on a session that we thought would be helpful. Instead, as Joanne says, she received “some disappointing news from a woman who was an over-achiever in the discouragement department.” So later, when Joanne had to leave for her publisher interview, she was understandably anxious. Rather than say (as I usually would) “I’ll pray for you,” I felt strongly impressed by God to pray WITH her, not just FOR her, to pray OVER her, not just ABOUT her. So right there, in the front row of the conference room, we 3 had a little heavenly tête-à-tête, Joanne, me and God. Normally apprehensive about putting myself out there, Joanne helped me learn a little about walking in obedience. And though the verse Eccl. 4:12 is often used in weddings, Solomon is also talking about friendship, and that afternoon it was alive for me:
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Joanne is a gifted writer, often with side-splitting humor. This month, Joanne is using her newly renovated corner of the web to interview some blog-friends, including me! She’s such a good friend, I don’t even mind that she called me an “oxymoron.”

You can read her interview with me here.

Thanks Joanne. May God continue to use you abundantly.
Susan