...remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35b)
We’ve all heard the saying. And many of us believe it. But what about those on the receiving side?
To be completely honest, this has been one of the hardest lessons the past 14 months, and one that’s currently being highlighted by the incredible generosity of some this Christmas.
To begin with, there's having the need. There can be a certain indignity or embarrassment, or even shame for not doing or having enough. Are we grateful though? Incredibly and unequivocally. We could not have made it this past year without the help.
Granted, at the onset of the long NICU stay, it was really easy to stuff the negative away and focus on Evanna. For the most part, that is. My guilt was often triggered by the thing that kept me going the most during that time: coffee. I was drinking a lot during the NICU stay as I was trying to balance being there, being with the kids at home, driving back and forth, and work. Not neurotically, but approaching it at times, questioning whether I was being a good steward of the gifts given.
Somewhere along the way, it occurred to me that the donations were freely given, from people that cared about our family. As they are this Christmas as well.
After all, isn't that what Christmas is all about? Yeshua Hamashiach coming to us, undeserved, and in many ways unexpected...because of God's love for us.
And we’re grateful for the love, the caring, the support, the encouragement. We’ve prepped the kids a bit, because we’ve gone from a very, very slim but content Christmas to what looks to be an amazing one…and hope that they too will realize how blessed they are this year and how much people care not just about Evanna, but ALL of us.
