Kids Helping Kids

     Step out your front door, and there's no doubt that the holiday season is upon us. It seems that every person in America is out shopping. Traffic seems to have increased no matter what time of the day it is, people seem a bit more rushed and already a lot less happy, and all anyone can talk about is buying, giving, and getting.

     This past weekend, we focused on the giving part.

     Over the weekend, we took our daughter to the store to pack a shoe box full of gifts for another little girl her age, one she'll never meet. Some little girl somewhere is in need of MUCH, and our daughter was thrilled to know that she could help her. We've had pictures on our refrigerator of kids in dirt roads with no shoes who look nothing like our daughter, holding these shoe boxes with grins from ear to ear. We've talked with our daughter and asked her questions about how she thinks she can help. And she was eager to do so.

     During the holidays especially, the temptation for children to focus on themselves and what they want is beyond great. Samaritan's Purse sponsors Operation Christmas Child each year, and hundreds of thousands of shoe boxes are filled with gifts for children in need. Imagine opening up your very own teddy bear, a tooth brush, underwear and socks, a little toy car, necklaces, coloring books, or even a piece of candy for the first time. Samaritan's Purse reaches out to kids in need, shares the love of Christ, and gives these kids something to smile about. It has sure brought perspective to our household this holiday season.

     At a time when too much focus is on gift-getting and "telling Santa what you want" for Christmas, why not help your kids step out of their world of plenty into another world of few? What a privilege it is for our kids to help others! Don't let this holiday season pass without taking time to think of other people first. There is nothing so great than to see a need and meet it for another human being.