Gifts for Strangers

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As we prepare for Christmas, it's easiest to think about gifts for people who mean things to us. You probably, like I do, find it easiest to pick out things for yourself. You probably don't have a family gift rotation that requires you to only give two family members gifts like my extended family does. You probably don't violate that every year anyway like I do because I can afford to give more than I receive. You probably don't think too much about people around you, but today I had several occasions to do so and found it rewarding.

Every adult member of my family gets a gift from me each year. I do this mostly for two reasons. First, I have nobody in my own household for whom to show charity through gifting, and so I do that because it makes Christmas meaningful to me to give gifts to my family. Secondly, I am not sure if any of my siblings can actually afford to do this, and because I am in a better financial position than the rest of them, I do so. Originally, I did this and intimated to them that they were not to tell my parents; the cat's out of the bag on that, especially after I bought my father a tool set last year that my mother told him they couldn't afford. When I moved into my house three years ago, God told me that my money was for my family, to use it as I saw fit to bless their lives, and since nobody seems to want to be in a family with me, I use it on my siblings. Two of them have children now, which will complicate things, but it's actually been fairly easy this year to find things to give everyone except for my mother.

Then there are members of the family of man. Earlier I posted about a woman at a Wendy's to whom I will give a gift since I won't be otherwise helping her keep her job by patronizing that location after today. Tonight on the way home, I met a lost brother who needed my help, and it didn't cost me anything besides my time.

On the way home, I stopped by the grocer to buy a few items of produce on sale that I enjoy. As usual, I picked the slowest line and got stuck in my place. As it turns out, it was the right thing. Immediately in front of me was an older gentleman whose movements were so slow that I began to actually pay attention to him. I noticed that his cuffs were worn and faded. I noticed that his back was stooped. At least twice, despite the fact that the climate control was actually functioning, he blew into his hands to warm them. His shoes were torn open and worn on the soles such that there was barely any sole left. He had a hard face, probably from exposure, and his jacket looked like it was hardly any protection. Eventually, he paid for his purchase with a card and began to pack his wares. Outside, the air was bitter cold. I packed my five items in a bag and looked at the man in front of me. I turned to him and asked him if I could offer him a ride. He broke into tears and nodded.

The detour took me only about a mile out of my way. I still arrived home to an empty house, but my heart was full. I don't know the man, and I don't know if he really lives there, but for a moment I had someone for whom to care besides myself. He doesn't know me, and I will probably never see him again, but for a moment he was a man, and for all I know he wasn't just a man. It was possible that I entertained an angel unaware.

One of the biggest messages they try to impress upon us every Christmas is the notion that the gifts we give are gifts we give Christ. Like the gold, frankincense and myrrh, He doesn't need our cash or our packages from Amazon or anything we pick up on Black Friday. He asks us for our hearts, for us to turn to Him and act like Disciples. You see, although doing doesn't lead to being per se, the fruits follow those who really believe. Each of us who truly follows Christ will act in a way that people will be able to tell. Our works follow our faith because our faith really helped Christ change our natures.

At the end of the day, a ride home is a small thing. What was I really going to do if I ignored the man? I would go home and watch and episode of Firefly and then pray before bed and feel as empty as my house does. I often get out of bed in the morning and ask God where He wants me to serve Him that day because, unlike many of you, I don't have an immediate family that demands my attention and affectations. You probably have a spouse and/or children who are your responsibility, but I have to search out mine, and frequently I suspect it's a series of small and seemingly insignificant encounters. As a Free Agent, I am available to go and do whatever He needs no matter how small because I'm not otherwise engaged. I am supposed to give gifts to strangers.

In reality, there really are no strangers. Somehow, we are all related by blood, and somehow we are all related through the Blood of Christ as parts of the Family of the Son of Man. Each of these is a sister or a brother whom we are to love because we love our Father God. Although loving them does not mean that we endure, pity or embrace aberrant and abhorrent behaviors, it does invite us to do good unto them, even if they spitefully use us and persecute us. I don't think that we should all offer rides to strangers in bad weather, because there are some shady characters out there, but there are things we can do.

The following poem is often misattributed to Emerson. I do not know who wrote it, but I think it shows us the kinds of gifts we can give to strangers and in doing so stay true to the real meaning of Christmas, whether you believe in Christ or in something else. 

To Have Succeeded

To laugh often and love much:

To win respect of intelligent people

And the affection of children;

To earn the approbation of honest critics

And endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To give one's self;

To leave the world a little better,

Whether by a healthy child,

A garden patch,

Or redeemed social condition;

To have played and laughed with enthusiasm

And sung with exultation;

To know even one life has breathed easier

Because you have lived...

This is to have succeeded.

May we all find the opportunity to waste and wear out our lives in making the world a little better. Even if it's a small contribution, the amalgamation of many small things constitutes something transformative and substantive and substantial. Even if you aren't a person of faith, Christmas affords us the opportunity to give our best selves as a gift to ourselves and rise to our full potential by thinking beyond ourselves to those around us who are in need. This is why everyone likes this time of year, because for a few moments a large part of our population bands together to bless the family of man and in so doing reminds us that the world can be better and how. Merry Christmas to you all.