Gifts...of all kinds

Today was a celebration in many, many ways! It was the last day of school until the new year and a much needed break for both me and my students!

I never expect gifts from my students - I teach at a school where the families can barely provided for themselves. I remember my first year teaching and I received an amazing box made of decorated notebook paper taped together and filled with this particular child's treasures - used fingernail polish, half a bottle of glue, paper drawings, and other such "trinkets." I LOVED this gift, because it was from her heart. I also had one student put the hood of her coat under the tree and try to give it to me - and it took me some convincing to get her to take it back. I love each year how thoughtful my students are, but never expect what most would call traditional presents.

Today was different in a way. I got two "normal" type presents and then my sweet little Dylon announced that he had a gift for me. For those I have kept in the loop about this precious family you already know about how God has been working in their lives. This is a single parent situation with huge money problems. Dylon's mother is one amazing woman. She works so very hard and loves her two little boys with everything she has in her. To make a long story short, my wonderful friends and family have helped me make Christmas great for them this year by providing toys, groceries, and gift cards. So I was a bit surprised when Dylon said he had a gift for me because I knew they didn't have money to spare. Out of his backpack he carefully pulled out this paper book/card that his mother had made. She had decorated it with photos, stickers, and some other scrapbook things. My heart just melted when I saw it and I sat down at my horseshoe table as the other kids gathered around. I started reading the pages and could feel the tears coming on. She had put a picture of Dylon from the first day of school and he had a huge thumbs up and the biggest grin on his face. This kid was just pumped about school! :) The last page of the book was a letter to me from Dylon's mother. She wrote about how she had come back to a place where she could see that God loved and cared for her and that she and her boys were now going to church. She said that her faith had been restored. I had to just stop and remember to breathe - I knew what was about to happen and there was no stopping it. Right there in my classroom in front of my entire class I bawled - and I'm talking ugly cry going on here. :) I knew right then and there that I received the best Christmas present ever I ever had - I witnessed someone experience the love of God because of the kindness of others, and complete strangers at that. The magnitude of it all just hit me (and I still don't feel like I'm picking the right words to explain it all.) I thought of all the people who helped make this happen - church friends, family, friends I've known since I was a little girl. All these people made the choice to help someone they didn't even know and now the reward was so great. RENEWED FAITH! Not because of the gifts, but because of the gestures. We can give money and "things" until we can give no more, but the giving of love will always make the biggest impact and I got to see that first hand. I am beyond thankful that I have friends and family that are willing to do for others without expecting anything in return - just because. :)

In an email later today Dylon's mother wrote,
"Even if we didn’t get any materialistic things I want you to know how much you have given us. Because of you my faith has been restored and our life has been blessed. I just really want you to know how grateful we are for you and everyone else who has helped us. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without your prayers and love. And like I said before it is the best Christmas present I know I got this year. To have my faith restored and finally be in a place where I am loved and feel God’s grace upon me, is so amazing. So thank you again."


As Christians we are called to love one another as God loved us. That is so hard for me to fully grasp, but today I got a glimpse of exactly what that love can do and I am so very thankful.