Yes I know it is October and is a bit early to bring the subject up, but I saw this video today and wanted to share some thoughts.
Matt and I want to raise Tom and Jerry to truly appreciate the meaning of the Christmas season. We don’t want them growing up thinking that it is all about the presents. We haven’t fully figured out how it will all work, all we know is we want it to be about time spent together, the fun had, and love shared. The things I remember most about Christmas past are the fun times, the baking, and just being together.
I saw the video above on our church’s blog and was shocked to find out Americans spend 450 billion every year on Christmas. Wow that is a lot of money! I am sure some of that is spent on travel to see loved ones, but a decent chunk of it is spent on presents that most Americans quickly forget about and that no longer satisfy. I was also shocked to find out it is estimated that we only 10 billion of that to provide clean, safe drinking water to EVERYONE. Churches have been encouraging people the last few years to give the gift of presence over presents and have begun raising funds to provide fresh water wells to those who need them. I personally could not imagine not having clean water to drink, or to give to my children.
I encourage everyone to focus more on the gift of presence this year and help provide clean water to the world. You don’t have to go to church to participate and if you do go to church and your church isn’t interested, YOU can still do something. Talk to your friends and family encourage them to donate to charities that provide clean water to people who need instead of giving gifts this holiday season. Here are some charities to get you started:
I am not saying don’t give gifts, you can give gifts, please just make them meaningful gifts instead of something that is just going to get thrown away, put up on a shelf to be forgotten, or re-gifted.