Service and Giving–it comes in all forms

As we get into the Christmas spirit, we hopefully focus more on giving.  I’ve found that anonymous gifts are so much fun and really get me in the right frame of mind.  And even though I’m as fond of the “drop off cookies to the neighbors” or “secret santas” as the next person, I’ve found that I also get a little excitement giving things to people I don’t even know.

For example, on Friday, as I was cleaning out the girls’ closet, I found several cute toys that are longing to be played with.  They aren’t new, but they are still in good condition.  So I listed them on freecycle and made someone’s day as they came and picked up a new toy vacuum and a little pink castle for their kids.  If you haven’t discovered freecycle, then you really must.  You can list things you’d like to be rid of, or even ask for things you’d like that maybe someone else has laying around.  I’ve given away a couch, a fridge, a table, clothes, shoes, a ceiling fan, a waterbed, an old treadmill, and lots of little things.  Things that may not mean a lot to us anymore, but to someone else, it might be just what they needed. And you usually don’t have to do anything more than just leave it out on your porch and someone comes and picks it up!  So you are giving things away to people who may need them, AND you are getting rid of a bit of clutter.

So I’ve decided that I will give something away EVERY day until Christmas.  On Saturday a woman from freecycle was looking for a pair of cowboy boots for her daughter’s birthday.  Well, we have some boots that may not fit Jenna anymore, so I pulled them down from the closet, had her try them on (nope, don’t fit!), then emailed that lady and told her I had boots for her if she still needed them.   Yesterday I gave away tickets to my upcoming bell concert to people in my ward.  It doesn’t cost me anything, yet these people were quite excited to get tickets.

This morning I met a lady at Curves who was looking for one ticket to Thursday night’s Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert.  Just one.  She’s a dancer in the program and she was given only two tickets, and her husband can’t decide which of their twins to take to see mommy in the concert.  I have one or two extra tickets for Thursday night, I could give her one of mine.  I took her phone number, and won’t she be happy when I call her up and tell her that I DO have a ticket for her so that both of her twins can come to the concert.  I think I was there at Curves this morning (earlier than I usually go, in fact) so that I could be of service to her.

If you look for opportunities to serve, help people, and give things away, your eyes will be opened to a specific need that maybe only you can fill.  And at this Christmas season, isn’t that what we want to be doing?

So take a minute to see what you have that is “extra” at your house.  Maybe your son just grew out of his Sunday pants and shoes and you can offer them to someone who has a younger son (that’s what I will be listing on freecycle today).  Maybe you have a couple of perfumes or lotions that someone gave to you that just aren’t your style.  They might be just the right pick-me-up for someone else.  Maybe you have a gift card or a coupon that came in the mail that you won’t be using.  You could offer it to someone else, and it might save them a little bit of their hard earned cash.  Or those shoes that your youngest just grew out of?  I’m sure somebody is looking for some in just that size.

Your neighbor would still love it if you dropped off a fresh plate of cookies, but maybe a nice batch of soup and some rolls would be even better to help, if they have been sick.  So, go ahead.  Do something nice for someone you don’t even know.  I challenge you.  And you might surprise yourself by uncluttering whole closets full of stuff from your house in the process. See if you can give of yourself just a little bit more this December.  Try a little harder to be a little nicer, and embrace the spirit of giving.