When All Else Fails, Give.
Yesterday I was frustrated.
I had been thinking that morning about how I didn't feel like I was a in the "Christmas spirit." But that's not what was frustrating me.
It started simply, with me reading an article about the effects of 100 years of legalised prostitution on German culture. It ended a few hours later with me feeling infuriated, helpless, and exhausted.
The more I read, the more I wanted to research. The more I learned, the more helpless I felt. One thing led to another and over the course of the morning I had learned about the abuse of women in the porn industry, moms in Cambodia who sell their daughters' virginity to attempt to feed their families, infants kidnapped in the Philippines to be used for online trafficking, the estimated 8 million girls who have been aborted over the last decade in India due to the illegal dowry system, global child trafficking rings based in Canada, and even the illegal underground sex trade that is right here in Japan.
The reality was that although I hadn't moved from my chair for several hours, I felt so overwhelmed and fatigued. After I could literally process no more information, I laid down and fell asleep.
I wasn't able to get into the Christmas spirit after that.
It's a horrible thing to hear about and see all the horrendous things happening all around our world, and to feel that we can do nothing. My current situation is one of limited abilities and resources, and I found myself wracking my brain and asking myself, "What can I do, right now? What can I do, right now?"
I realised I have a blog. I understand that my blog reaches a very limited number of people (you might not be surprised to hear that this number is even smaller when I use it to 'preach' about serious issues like this), but right now, it is my biggest sphere of influence. So I thought I'd start here.
Now, what does this have to do with Christmas?
It was recently brought to my attention that God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son...
He gave.
That's where Christmas comes in, isn't it? If God had never given, we would not be celebrating Christmas. Christmas is the holiday that marks the "anniversary" of God's gift of his Son.
I cannot singlehandedly convince the country of India that girls are just as valuable as boys. I cannot go raid Canadian hotels looking for child traffickers. I cannot go collect and keep every vulnerable Cambodian girl to make sure her childhood isn't destroyed. I simply cannot, at this point in my life. Maybe never. I do not have the abilities, the knowledge, the resources.
The good news is, there are people who do.
As I was reading about the situation in Cambodia, I came across an organization called Agape International Missions who are doing exactly what I wish I could do. They not only rescue girls from brothels and other such situations, but they come alongside the community to attempt to eradicate the poverty that drives families to such measures as selling their own children. They help the rescued girls get an education, and even learn to make a living, so they do not fall back into the sex trade, as so many are prone to do without any other options available to them. They even have a kick-boxing gym that reaches out to the pimps and johns themselves, to try and educate them that what they're doing is wrong, and how to be a man of integrity who respects and cares for women, instead of exploiting them.
I can't go directly to Cambodia. But maybe, I can give to support that.
As I was reading about this organisation, I was once again reminded of another that is very dear to my heart, Roots & Wings International Ministries. The people here fight daily for the well being of vulnerable children in Mexico. By keeping them off the streets, in the long run they are also helping to protect them from the lures of gangs, drugs, violence and prostitution. They focus on coming alongside families to help them grow as a unit, keeping them whole, and keeping the children out of orphanages. They work to fight against cycles of abuse and poverty, giving every child and mother they reach an opportunity to create better lives for themselves. Even that description does not totally encompass all that that Roots & Wings gives on a daily basis to the community in which they work, in ways so varied and diverse, it doesn't really fit into a neat little box.
I can't be in Mexico right now, protecting those little ones and empowering families. But I can give to support that.
Are you getting my drift? Feeling that Christmas spirit yet?
How about this Christmas catalogue, a super fun way for kids (and adults!) to see how their giving benefits other in a very tangible way? Each gift of chickens, or fruit trees, or backpacks, or food relief packs or whatever you choose goes directly to help impoverished families stay healthy, get an education, and make a living for themselves! Find something that you or your child connects with in their own lives, to make it feel more personal. I feel a real affinity to mosquito nets, and for me, the possibility of providing someone with that gives me great joy.
There are a million ways to give this Christmas season. Perhaps you really don't have a lot of income to spare. Maybe you're having a hard time paying your own bills, let alone helping someone else with theirs. Well, I have some good news for you! No one said giving = money. Allow me to expand on that thought...
You can give your time! Churches, shelters (for people or animals), schools, drop-ins, hospitals... these are all places that can use a helping hand! Celebrate Christmas by presenting a cause you support with the gift of your time!
You can give your health! I don't mean this super literally (although something like donating blood might be a literal application of this idea), but many of us are blessed with good health. We should use that to give to those who don't enjoy the health we do. Shovel/snow blow the driveway for your neighbour who finds it difficult. Drive someone to an appointment. Offer to watch someone's kids for a day while they battle the flu. Maybe someone doesn't feel up to doing their Christmas baking this year. Bring them cookies! Get creative and find ways to use something as simple as your health to give to others and make a difference.
You can give hospitality! It doesn't cost any money to invite your neighbour over for tea. It doesn't take any money to watch those kids while their parents finish Christmas shopping. You can have someone join your family Christmas dinner without much extra expense. You can help people feel that they have a safe place to belong and be loved, without putting down a penny (if they still exisited in Canada). From my own experience, however, that is a gift that is priceless to the receiver.
You can give a patience and love! For those of us who have worked in retail around Christmas time, we understand what a huge gift someone's patience can really be! There are a million way to give love and patience to everyone we interact with. All it takes is a little imagination and intention. Be willing to sacrifice your own ideas of your hectic schedule for the sake of showing patience and love to people.
You can give your talents! Are you good at hockey? Teach a kid to play! Do you like to sew? Sew some fleece mittens for your grandfather! Are you a ventriloquist? Use your imagination and figure something out (because I can't)! Do you write? Write your mom a poem that will warm her heart! Do you excel in the culinary arts? Treat someone to a home cooked meal! Everyone's talents are giveable. You just need to make the decision to take your abilities and transform them into gifts.
I still haven't solved the problems that I introduced at the beginning of my blog. Maybe for some, my "solutions" seem weak or trite. But the way I see it, the best way I can respond is through things I can actually do, right now. Dreaming about being on a swat team to raid brothels hasn't gotten me anywhere so far this week. That's not to say I won't keep working towards those kinds of longer-term solutions. But for today, for right now, the best I can do with the limitations I have at present, is give. None of us have an excuse to do nothing. We all have something we can offer.
God gave us a gift that truly changes the world. Maybe this Christmas we could and try and imitate that in some small way.
This is the the most Christmas-y I've felt all year.
I had been thinking that morning about how I didn't feel like I was a in the "Christmas spirit." But that's not what was frustrating me.
It started simply, with me reading an article about the effects of 100 years of legalised prostitution on German culture. It ended a few hours later with me feeling infuriated, helpless, and exhausted.
The more I read, the more I wanted to research. The more I learned, the more helpless I felt. One thing led to another and over the course of the morning I had learned about the abuse of women in the porn industry, moms in Cambodia who sell their daughters' virginity to attempt to feed their families, infants kidnapped in the Philippines to be used for online trafficking, the estimated 8 million girls who have been aborted over the last decade in India due to the illegal dowry system, global child trafficking rings based in Canada, and even the illegal underground sex trade that is right here in Japan.
 |
| http://www.ijm.org/cassies-story |
The reality was that although I hadn't moved from my chair for several hours, I felt so overwhelmed and fatigued. After I could literally process no more information, I laid down and fell asleep.
I wasn't able to get into the Christmas spirit after that.
It's a horrible thing to hear about and see all the horrendous things happening all around our world, and to feel that we can do nothing. My current situation is one of limited abilities and resources, and I found myself wracking my brain and asking myself, "What can I do, right now? What can I do, right now?"
I realised I have a blog. I understand that my blog reaches a very limited number of people (you might not be surprised to hear that this number is even smaller when I use it to 'preach' about serious issues like this), but right now, it is my biggest sphere of influence. So I thought I'd start here.
Now, what does this have to do with Christmas?
It was recently brought to my attention that God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son...
He gave.
That's where Christmas comes in, isn't it? If God had never given, we would not be celebrating Christmas. Christmas is the holiday that marks the "anniversary" of God's gift of his Son.
I cannot singlehandedly convince the country of India that girls are just as valuable as boys. I cannot go raid Canadian hotels looking for child traffickers. I cannot go collect and keep every vulnerable Cambodian girl to make sure her childhood isn't destroyed. I simply cannot, at this point in my life. Maybe never. I do not have the abilities, the knowledge, the resources.
The good news is, there are people who do.
As I was reading about the situation in Cambodia, I came across an organization called Agape International Missions who are doing exactly what I wish I could do. They not only rescue girls from brothels and other such situations, but they come alongside the community to attempt to eradicate the poverty that drives families to such measures as selling their own children. They help the rescued girls get an education, and even learn to make a living, so they do not fall back into the sex trade, as so many are prone to do without any other options available to them. They even have a kick-boxing gym that reaches out to the pimps and johns themselves, to try and educate them that what they're doing is wrong, and how to be a man of integrity who respects and cares for women, instead of exploiting them.
I can't go directly to Cambodia. But maybe, I can give to support that.
As I was reading about this organisation, I was once again reminded of another that is very dear to my heart, Roots & Wings International Ministries. The people here fight daily for the well being of vulnerable children in Mexico. By keeping them off the streets, in the long run they are also helping to protect them from the lures of gangs, drugs, violence and prostitution. They focus on coming alongside families to help them grow as a unit, keeping them whole, and keeping the children out of orphanages. They work to fight against cycles of abuse and poverty, giving every child and mother they reach an opportunity to create better lives for themselves. Even that description does not totally encompass all that that Roots & Wings gives on a daily basis to the community in which they work, in ways so varied and diverse, it doesn't really fit into a neat little box.
 |
| http://www.rootsandwingsim.org/christmas-is-coming/ |
I can't be in Mexico right now, protecting those little ones and empowering families. But I can give to support that.
Are you getting my drift? Feeling that Christmas spirit yet?
How about this Christmas catalogue, a super fun way for kids (and adults!) to see how their giving benefits other in a very tangible way? Each gift of chickens, or fruit trees, or backpacks, or food relief packs or whatever you choose goes directly to help impoverished families stay healthy, get an education, and make a living for themselves! Find something that you or your child connects with in their own lives, to make it feel more personal. I feel a real affinity to mosquito nets, and for me, the possibility of providing someone with that gives me great joy.
 |
| http://www.erdo.ca/giftcatalogue |
There are a million ways to give this Christmas season. Perhaps you really don't have a lot of income to spare. Maybe you're having a hard time paying your own bills, let alone helping someone else with theirs. Well, I have some good news for you! No one said giving = money. Allow me to expand on that thought...
You can give your time! Churches, shelters (for people or animals), schools, drop-ins, hospitals... these are all places that can use a helping hand! Celebrate Christmas by presenting a cause you support with the gift of your time!
You can give your health! I don't mean this super literally (although something like donating blood might be a literal application of this idea), but many of us are blessed with good health. We should use that to give to those who don't enjoy the health we do. Shovel/snow blow the driveway for your neighbour who finds it difficult. Drive someone to an appointment. Offer to watch someone's kids for a day while they battle the flu. Maybe someone doesn't feel up to doing their Christmas baking this year. Bring them cookies! Get creative and find ways to use something as simple as your health to give to others and make a difference.
You can give hospitality! It doesn't cost any money to invite your neighbour over for tea. It doesn't take any money to watch those kids while their parents finish Christmas shopping. You can have someone join your family Christmas dinner without much extra expense. You can help people feel that they have a safe place to belong and be loved, without putting down a penny (if they still exisited in Canada). From my own experience, however, that is a gift that is priceless to the receiver.
You can give a patience and love! For those of us who have worked in retail around Christmas time, we understand what a huge gift someone's patience can really be! There are a million way to give love and patience to everyone we interact with. All it takes is a little imagination and intention. Be willing to sacrifice your own ideas of your hectic schedule for the sake of showing patience and love to people.
You can give your talents! Are you good at hockey? Teach a kid to play! Do you like to sew? Sew some fleece mittens for your grandfather! Are you a ventriloquist? Use your imagination and figure something out (because I can't)! Do you write? Write your mom a poem that will warm her heart! Do you excel in the culinary arts? Treat someone to a home cooked meal! Everyone's talents are giveable. You just need to make the decision to take your abilities and transform them into gifts.
I still haven't solved the problems that I introduced at the beginning of my blog. Maybe for some, my "solutions" seem weak or trite. But the way I see it, the best way I can respond is through things I can actually do, right now. Dreaming about being on a swat team to raid brothels hasn't gotten me anywhere so far this week. That's not to say I won't keep working towards those kinds of longer-term solutions. But for today, for right now, the best I can do with the limitations I have at present, is give. None of us have an excuse to do nothing. We all have something we can offer.
God gave us a gift that truly changes the world. Maybe this Christmas we could and try and imitate that in some small way.
This is the the most Christmas-y I've felt all year.
What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him: give my heart.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
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