A CURE FOR THE GIMMIES

By Mrs. Lorrie Flem
Copyright 2002 TEACH Magazine
Used with permission. All rights reserved.

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you what the Gimmies are. We have
all seen them at one time or another. This ailment seems to get worse
at as children's birthdays (or adults!) and Christmas approach. There
is an easy cure for this problem we call the Gimmes. Since it is
nearing Christmas time we will focus on that holiday here even though
this can be a year-round affliction. The most effective cure for the
Gimmies is to simply involve the children or better yet, absolutely
saturate them in doing things for and giving things to others.

Families make wonderful volunteers. While you are busy blessing
others you will also be a ministry in and of yourself. Families
working together are a rare sight these days! Children are naturally
energetic and enthusiastic. Most people cannot resist returning their
beautifully contagious smiles.

Remember that old song with the line about love being something when
you give it away? The benefits of giving the gift of our time is not
limited to what we give. We will receive more by giving than we gave.
As we have volunteered in different capacities over the years we have
seen our children gain confidence in themselves and their ability to
make a difference in the world. They begin to realize that what
choices they make has an effect on others.

In order to enlist your children's willing help you need to find a
ministry they want to be a part of. Things like working in a soup
kitchen, food baskets, and the Angel Tree Ministry are the activities
that immediately come to my mind as being appropriate for families of
younger children. I would like to share some less common yet just as
valuable ideas that the entire family is able to participate in. As
you read these suggestions ask the Holy Spirit to put a burden on
your heart for what He would like your family to do.

IN THE COMMUNITY
Here's a suggestion that you can duplicate in your own community. We
have heard of a town that has set up a Food Cooperative. In this plan
you perform two hours of any type of community service and in
exchange you are able to purchase a very large food basket for $25.
The retail value of the basket and its contents is about $100 so this
is an excellent value and a great way for towns to encourage much
needed help in various programs. You can earn as many baskets as you
donate hours and give them away to those who need them or use them
yourself.

What about volunteering to put on a Christmas Party for children in
need? This could be a great project for a family or a Boy or Girl
Scout troop. Our local food bank is always in need of help and I am
willing to guess yours is too.

Nursing homes are usually places desperately in need of children's
smiles and joy. It is very easy to set up an afternoon to go
Christmas caroling there. If your children are older another idea is
to go in and bring a few items for them to make some crafts to give
as gifts. With your help the older people will delight in this. One
favorite is to take an instant camera, take their photo and help them
make frame for it. What a fun gift for them to give someone.

Here in Maple Valley there is a toy "store" stocked with donations
from community businesses. Parents who may otherwise be unable to
give their children gifts can come "shop" here while the children eat
some snacks and watch a video or play with a couple of volunteers.
Our children and I have volunteered here and really enjoy this time.

My good friend Jodi and her children participate in "Meals On Wheels"
each week. Just as the name implies, they pick up meals and deliver
them to those who need them. Call your county's Department of Aging
to participate.

Deliver Christmas greeting cards to the neighbors and save on
postage. At the same time collect food and offer to deliver it to the
local food bank. You can sing a carol for them too.

You can help the Salvation Army with its' ministry in more than one
way. You can be a bell ringer for only an hour or two. Pick an indoor
or outdoor location. The children love to ring the bell and their
sweet smiles bring in more donations too! Or go through your closets
for clothes and toys to donate. You have the added benefit of making
way for the new gifts you will get this year.

There are so many opportunities for community service. Here are some
others we have explored: roadside litter clean up, blood banks and
voting booths, feeding the homeless in a food line, a letter or card
for a serviceman (especially appropriate this year), bake and deliver
baked goodies to the local fire/ambulance department, make Christmas
cards or ornaments and deliver them to nursing homes, or prisoners in
the local jail, scoop snow from an elderly person's driveway. We also
heard of one family who works at a local Good Samaritan House where
professionals provide medical/dental services at no charge. Once you
begin looking you will be amazed at the possibilities and need!

AT CHURCH
You may prefer to serve within your own body of believers. I am
pretty sure there is not a church that will turn an offer of help
away. The secretary will usually know which direction to point you
to. From helping in the office to general maintenance or cleaning,
there is always a need. My friend Jennifer wanted to donate to our
church one year so she volunteered to be the weekly cleaner. Once a
week she joined with the sweet old gentleman who is the Maintenance
man at our church and cleaned the church in preparation for Sundays.

Toys and clothes are other areas that you may not have thought of.
What about a church run "Toy Store" as described above? Then the
children whose parents are shopping can listen to a Bible story while
they wait. Donations can be made by the members to stock your shelves
and then invite the people that you know would be blessed to come
shop there. My sister Carisa's old church had a small room that was
like a children's clothing resale shop. You could donate to it and
shop in it as you desired. One lady took the sacks of donations and
hung the clothes in the appropriate areas, made sure things were
cleaned, and I am sure she also weeded out some things too!

Remember the Christmas Party idea? What about a Sunday School class
putting on one of these? Again, done from the church it has the added
value of an opportunity to share Jesus' love.

Another thing that is fun to do and is easy to involve other families
in battling the Gimmies is to offer to make baskets for the deacons
of your church. Make it a family project to shop for things to
include from dollar stores, thrift shops, and donations you acquire
from friends. Sell the baskets at cost or donate them …even offer to
deliver them.

Here are a few more service ideas for you to consider: the Angel Tree
project through Chuck Colson's Prison Ministries (www.angeltree.org),
sending bears to Russia with Josh McDowell Ministries, making a gift
box for Samaritan's Purse (www.samaritanspurse.org), or distributing
Bibles with the Gideon's (www.Gideons.org). You can also check into
www.compassion.org, www.habitat.org, and www.amor.org. A local
Christian rescue mission is a great place to show others you care
too.

What about adopting a family? Pray that God will lay a family on your
hearts. When you have identified what family you would like to help,
begin looking for age appropriate gifts. Make a box, basket or bag to
hold the gifts and pray for them daily. On Christmas Eve (or shortly
before Christmas) make it a special project to go out late with the
children and deliver the surprise. If you get caught just say you are
God's helpers. More likely you will be able to slip away unnoticed
with your hearts full of joy.

BLESS AND BE BLESSED
We have always told the children that, "Christmas is Jesus' birthday,
but since He is in heaven we can't give Him concrete birthday
presents so we give these gifts or our time to others." In Matthew 25
Jesus tells us that we give Him gifts when we feed the hungry, give
drinks to the thirsty, take stranger in, clothe the naked, and visit
the sick and those imprisoned.

"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me."
Matthew 25:40.

For some gift ideas we can give to Jesus see our website
(www.TEACHmagazine.com). These birthday present ideas for Jesus
should spark your interest. Click on __________.

Most years, there is an activity that touches our hearts so much that
we continue our involvement in it throughout the year. Food baskets
and visiting nursing homes are great ones for this. Each of these
ideas plus many that I have not thought of, teach the value of
servant hood, and helps to provide a cure for the Gimmies. I bet you
will find that each of them has a very good success rate. Our
children are in the church play again this year. One of the songs
they are singing sums it up nicely, "We're blessed to bless again."
So true.

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ABOUT LORRIE...

Lorrie Flem and her husband Randy, homeschool their eight children in
Western Washington, the evergreen and often wet side of the state.
She is the publisher of TEACH Magazine, a quarterly publication for
Christian moms, convention speaker, and the author of two books,
What's For Dinner, Mom? and Welcome Home, Daddy! She can be reached
through Lorrie@... or seen on the web at
http://www.TEACHmagazine.com.

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