Free gift... I can imagine your eyes all getting big or at least you becoming slightly interested at the thought! What is ever FREE these days? Well I know of one thing that is free of charge, at least for us. It never grows old or broken. Never seizes to amaze me with it's results or blessings!
So what can this FREE gift be...?
Prayer....You may of not thought of it as a gift we could give or the fact that it is a free gift given to us all. But what better gift can we possibly give those we love than prayer? Everything else breaks, fades, disappoints or eventually looses it's excitement. Prayer never does!
In fact, I was just blessed with a great idea from another Mom. She happily shared with me how her family has started a new tradition. Each time they receive a CHRISTmas card they save it to open up as a family. The ideal time for this would be dinner time but due to the fact that many of us don't always get to sit down together for dinner I also wanted to give some other suggestions. Bedtime would also work and so would story time, breakfast and any other time your whole family is together.
Ok so here's what you do. After receiving the CHRISTmas card or cards you open them together, read the cards and extra inserts (if there are any) out loud. You share with each other thoughts or memories about this person or family who sent this wonderful card to you. Then you pray as a family for this family or individual. You do this each day you receive a CHRISTmas card or as often as possible.
What an immense gift this prayer will be to the receiver, what an intercessor you and you family can be for another. After all that is what prayer is, being an intercessor on someones behalf. You are entering God's throne room and taking the time to remember this person in your prayers... I can't think of a better gift I would like to receive!
We may never see half those we receive CHRISTmas cards from. We may not have a chance to catch up with them in the next days or weeks ahead but we can take the time to pray for them now. We may not know what some of their needs may be but I know some one who does. Matthew 6 verse 8 teaches us, "Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." Well if He knows what we need, He most definitely knows what they need as well. All we need to do is bring our thoughts and prayers to Him and He will work out the rest. You never know He may just request us to call or visit this card giver... allowing the gift to go on.
What a beautiful CHRISTmas this can be! What an incredible tradition we can start in our own families. What an immeasurable gift we can teach and instill in our children and loved ones. I can only imagine what they may think and feel when watching us model this unselfish act. I feel love, joy, peace and all the fruits of the spirit emerging and celebrating!
Can you even begin to imagine the prayers that can be lifted this CHRISTmas? Can we even fathom the gates of hell we will storm on anothers behalf this CHRISTmas? With so much around us to make many sad, lonely and depressed, think of what our free gift can offer some one else this CHRISTmas! It just might be the gift they need at that very moment. It may very well be the only prayer said on their behalf this CHRISTmas but what a powerful one it can be!
So come on ladies lets make our CHRISTmas one Christ would be proud of, lets leave a legacy of love and give this free gift as often as possible!
"May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you." Numbers 6:25 NLT
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