So, I’m still planning to kick off the Advent Daily Writing Topics starting on Saturday. Whether you share a picture on social media or actually write a post each day along with me, I hope you will do enough to draw your heart in this season. You may not do anything public, but I know being intentional each day to draw your heart closer to the manager and the Savior inside will help settle your heart on this Christmas season with intention and focus. Another thing I really want to challenge you to is to give with intention this year as well.
Yes, we all keep a pile of things on our “want” list. But, how realistic is that? I’ve struggled when it has come down to actually giving someone a $25 gift I really want when they drew my name for a gift exchange. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem realistic to tell someone what you want and just expect it to be under the tree.
This Christmas season, I’m serving as an ambassador for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Festival of Stars Toy Drive. While I’m being compensated for my promotion, all opinions and stories are my own.Â
There have been seasons of my life where this time of year was really hard. Whether it was being single and everyone else seemed like they had someone to meet under the mistletoe. Or, the year I had finished my cancer treatments, but I still felt tired and was learning what a “new normal” really looked like. While I’ve never been away from my family on Christmas or wanted for a gift under the tree, I have sat in a hospital room at the end of a day with very hard news and wondered if there was any hope left.
Last Christmas, I remember one of my husband’s co-workers had his daughter in a Children’s Hospital. She had passed out and they couldn’t figure out why. Her fluid levels were measuring low and they were running tests to get some answers. We felt hopeless sitting on the outside looking in, wondering what we could do to help.
Or, almost a decade ago when one of my college roommates gave birth to her twins early and those tiny little babies were in a NICU for way too long. Thankfully she got to bring them home the week of Thanksgiving, but it was a hard reality that was starting to set in that getting to take home leftovers was the least of her worries that holiday season.
The holidays are hard when you are sick. But, when it’s your child in the hospital and you are waiting for answers or treatments, getting out and buying things off their wish list is near impossible.
That’s where the rest of us come in!
This year you can be part of serving these families and kids while they are taking care of themselves and trying to get better at an Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
TODAY is Giving Tuesday and you can kick off the season with a donation directly to the Festival of Stars Toy Drive. You may give online between today and December 14 to help support the toy drive. Visit giving.archildrens.org/donate to make an online gift.
Another way you can give is by taking items yourself directly to one of the 2 hospital locations or the 10 locations around the state. Maybe you are like me and don’t live in Little Rock or Springdale, but still want to participate with tangible items they can wrap and share with the children. Drop off cities include Conway, Jonesboro, El Dorado, Magnolia, Fort Smith, Russellville, Hot Springs, Sheridan, Harrison and Texarkana.
The wish lists can be found on the same page as the locations, but this year they are making special requests for baby items and a teen focus. Read through the list and add a few items each time you are out making your Christmas rounds. This would be a great activity for a homeroom class, PTO, mother’s day out, neighboorhood or small group to collect over the next 2 weeks. I love the thought of an activity where you can get the kids involved and let them see how they can make a sacrifice, maybe even of one of their own toy selections this year, to help a sick kiddo who could be their neighbor or classmate.
As I’m writing these words, I’ve got a healthy little boy jumping in his “party deck.” I am beyond thankful, that that is our story this year. We are blessed more than we know and can’t wait to help some other families who are feeling the hard days at this jolly season.
What items seem to jump off the WISH LIST? Have you ever had a hard Christmas spent inside or with a loved one at the hospital?
