Surprise In Disguise: Giving

SURPRISE IN DISGUISE… GIVING

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

I was told that Mary and Joseph had a little trouble getting baby Jesus to sleep. Baby Jesus was sleeping soundly when a little boy came up and said I am so sorry I missed the baby shower and I have nothing to give right now, so I brought my drum. The little boy started playing his drum for Jesus. My dad always said: YOUR FRIENDS CAN KILL YOU AS DEAD AS YOUR ENEMIES!

Matthew 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

MY PROMISE: GIVING WITHOUT ACCOLADES…

I was teaching school in Lee County Virginia. We always did Christmas at my Mom and Dad’s in Frankfort. I was not a dad, preacher or pastor at that time. My parents lived in the parsonage and had a little front room. As the tradition, my dad was in the big chair next to the door. Then the Christmas tree. Then my brother Tim. Then there was Nina and Jeff. Then my Mom was in her chair. I was in the floor of the hallway. Linda and Nina passed the presents to each individual. We all had a stack of wrapped gifts in front of us. We opened the presents and always thanked the giver. I always watched the others unwrap and open their gifts. I had more fun watching them. There were so many presents. As I looked around the room I thanked God for each person. I opened mine. God is so good.

I got to thinking, IT IS NOT MY BIRTHDAY. It is Jesus’ birthday. THERE WAS NOT ONE PRESENT, NOT ONE UNDER THE TREE FOR JESUS. I guess I never thought about it. I quietly moved away and pondered: Jesus, I had a present, Dad has one, Mom has one and zero for JESUS? I prayed and cried and said: NEVER AGAIN WILL I ALLOW CHRISTMAS TO COME AND GO AND NOT HAVE JESUS A GIFT. While I pondered I thought: GOD, I PROMISE IF I EVER BECOME A PASTOR, THE LAST SUNDAY IN NOVEMBER OR THE FIRST IN DECEMBER I WILL REMIND THE PEOPLE, JESUS’S BIRTHDAY IS DECEMBER 25 AND WE SHOULD GIVE SOMETHING, MAKE SOMETHING OR DO SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR JESUS.

I have now pastored about 44 years… I have kept my promise to tell others to not allow Christmas to come and go without a present for Jesus Christ the son of God. One year I read the New Testament through in December. One year I visited 10 times in jails or prisons and shared Jesus. One year I visited the rest home and old people 25 times.

Our boys were born and we always worked with them to give Jesus something special. One year while serving in missions in the mountains of east Kentucky we pooled our money together and bought a bushel of yellow apples. We wanted bananas but they cost more than we had. So we went to two rest homes. The boys wanted to eat a yellow apple, we explained we would be short apples. The old people have trouble biting apples. So Linda and I took paring knives. We peeled the apples and quartered them and the old people ate the apples. My sons ate the peelings. This was 40 years ago… I once overheard my adult sons say: DO YOU REMEMBER THE CHRISTMAS WE ATE THE APPLE PEELINGS AND THE OLD PEOPLE ATE THE APPLES? The lesson still is in their hearts.

One year we practiced a song for a month. We played the music and they each sang a verse solo. One year I read the whole Bible in the month of December. Several times we took old ladies for a ride. Once we took an old lady to a boat dock where she and her husband had a boat many years ago. We have found poor children and purchased gifts. I do not do the angel tree because often times people put their children on the tree and there is honestly not a real need. Then I have made fruit salad and delivered and visited families. Other times we have done a ham, turkey and a food basket.

Each time we are careful not to boast or tell anyone.

I have known people that gave special offerings or helped a missionary. I knew a lady that worked making lap quilts. Jesus’ birthday presents do not have to cost a lot of money. The gift needs to require EFFORT and PLANNING… don’t just give leftovers or accidental giving… give purposefully.