The other night was Halloween. I totally enjoy all the little ghosts and mummies standing at my door waiting for me to fill their pillow cases with treats! I take a minute and laugh to myself as I remember my adorable 5 year old nephew (with missing front teeth) run off a porch after getting a regular sized candy bar screaming “THITH ITH THE BETH HALLOWEEN EVER!!!” Priceless! What’s even more priceless is a few questionable treaters who came to my door – a 6’7” man with bunny ears and a pirate with white hairs in his fully grown beard…… some people will do anything for NERDS!
Halloween was just a few days after super storm, Sandy, hit the east coast. The loss that many people endured is hard to imagine. My little neighborhood really dodged a bullet. No trees down. No power loss. We didn’t even lose cable! I looked at the wind swirling around and all of our leaves shuffling over to our neighbors yard (and his over to ours….) That was the worst of it. I turned on the news watching people travel by boat or jet ski to arrive at their partially destroyed homes. I take a minute to be grateful that I am safe and secure and no damage was done.
At church this past weekend our pastor announced the church will support the Samaritan’s Purse drive. They are collecting Christmas gifts for children. The pastor requested that we fill a shoebox full of items for either girls or boys ages 2-4; 5-9; or 10-14. More than likely this shoebox will be the only gift these children will receive this Christmas. The list of requested items includes soap, washcloths, yoyos, dolls, toothbrushes, combs etc. I take a minute and think of the huge pile of presents waiting for my daughter as she flies down the stairs Christmas morning. I also take a minute to think of my Christmas wish list – an iPad, which I’m sure I’ll get ….. and then some. Hmmmmm….. I need to take a minute and be very thankful that I am so fortunate and blessed.
This is the beginning of the holiday season and there is so much need all around us. Take a minute before you throw out that catalog you recently received in the mail requesting help. Take a minute and consider sending in a donation. If you can’t afford a monetary gift, think about donating your used clothing. Take a minute to go through a closet or your basement and give away items you haven’t touched in years. Take a minute and bring some extra canned goods to a local pantry. Take a minute and call a friend who is hurting. Take a minute and invite a lonely friend over to your home for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. These little minutes can truly impact someone’s life……and you will feel wonderful knowing that you helped someone in need!
Just make sure when you take a minute, you do so with a loving spirit…. A husband was in big trouble when he forgot his wife’s birthday. But she was willing to let it pass if he made it up to her in the right way. His wife told him “Tomorrow there better be something in the driveway for me that goes from zero to 200 in 2 seconds flat”. The next morning the wife found a small package in the driveway. She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale. Funeral arrangements for the husband have been set for Saturday. ;o)