This time of year brings a lot of nostalgia. The movie White Christmas and Alabama's Christmas CDs are my favorite. But there are also other thoughts that come to mind this time of year. Christmastime makes me think of handmade purses, LifeSaver books, Avon perfume, and brown paper bags filled with fruit and peppermint. You see, I think I was the most blessed preacher's kid on the planet. Every Christmas was made special because of church people that truly cared for my sister and me. They prayed for us, blessed us with gifts, invested in us, and believed in us. We didn't have a lot monetarily or materially throughout the year, but Christmas...Christmas was different. The cabinets couldn't hold the food that the church gave as they "pounded" the pastor. An extra week's pay was the normal, but church members would always give above and beyond the Church's gift.
Because of that church's love for us, the bar was set high for any church family that came into our lives as Heath and I started our own ministry. Each church we've pastored has been different, but at Christmas, they've always come through. Every one of those churches loved our children, and symbolically gave them something they knew my kids would enjoy at Christmas.
It wasn't about the gifts. It's never been about the gifts. Even when thinking about the earliest Christmas memory I have at church, I've always been in amazement that people would take the time and money to give something to someone as "insignificant" as the preacher's kids.
But because of the churches I've been blessed to be a part of, I've always known that should the time ever come, I would give back.
I couldn't wait this year to get involved in a church so that I could give. We didn't have much time this year to get to know them, so I settled on giving the kids gift cards to their favorite stores. I was shocked and amazed when their mom told me that no church member had ever remembered their kids at Christmas. What?!?!
If you haven't already, please remember your pastor's family this year at Christmas. They work hard all year long to take care of your family, most of the time, away from their own. They don't get to go spend time with their families at holidays like Easter and Christmas because they're ministering. It's not just the pastor that works in the ministry. The whole family is involved. The whole family gets to church early, stays late, cleans up during the week, plans events, sits in the car while dad visits at the hospital, and sacrifices financially.
They deserve all the joy in the world that we can offer. Let's show gratitude. Let me tell you....when you do...you'll receive joy in return.
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They are so lucky to have you all there. :)
ReplyDeleteWe were certainly blessed by you, and I know they will be too (although your roles are reversed now).
Thanks for updating your blog more these past several months - you know that I stalk it frequently to see if you've posted anything new (I know, I know - that's what Google Reader is for!). I know it's got to be hard since you have a lot less free time these days! I really enjoy reading what you have to say. :)