How can I help (and giveaways!)

I love reading Jill Savage's blog. She has lots of wonderful things that relate to motherhood, and I find her blog such an encouragement!

Jill is doing a once-a-day giveaway over at her blog. The idea is to share about Christmas-themed things, and every day there is a new question that you can answer in her comment section for a chance to win.

I especially loved yesterday's post, all about Random Acts of Christmas. Here's an excerpt:

"Every Sunday night our family gathers to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. This show pulls together a community to help a family in need. Friends, neighbors, and complete strangers band together to give their time and money to build a deserving family a new home. They rally around a need and give generously.

When a show like Extreme Makeover comes into town they make a need known. In essence they “market” the need and sell the community on the value of pulling together and meeting the need. Our society is so fast paced and me-centered that the only way we really see the needs around us is to have someone put it right in our face: Salvation Army bell ringers at every store entrance, Toys for Tots toy drives, Operation Christmas Child, and Angel Tree. These are valid efforts to bring the needs of others to our attention but what keeps us from seeing those needs on a regular basis? Does it have to be the Christmas season for us to have a generous heart?

With the holidays upon us, now is the time to pay attention to the needs around us. But we need not stop on December 25. We need to use this season as a starting point for the rest of the year."

It was a great post, and her question was:

Have you ever been the recipient of someone else's random act of kindness? Have you been prompted to bless someone in a special way?

I certainly have been the benefactor of random acts of kindness--more than once! I think about friends helping out with meals when I've had my children and am too sleep deprived to cook; friends keeping my children for me when I have errands to do and am not able to take them with me; a neighbor coming over to help a very large, immobile pregnant lady me rake leaves this fall, and expecting no help in return; an anonymous person at church, this time last year, giving our family an envelope to help with bills during a difficult financial time; and many, many other things.

This time, I was able to answer Jill's question from a more recent experience. Just last week, a box showed up on my door step, sent from a dear blog reader in Texas (who shares similar life circumstances with me and has become a dear friend in recent months.) It was stuffed with newborn baby girl clothes. I mean, really nice things. Oh, yeah...with a promise of more to come, as her daughter (10 weeks old) outgrows them.

EEEK!!!

I could barely contain my excitement. And, she doesn't want money....she wanted to bless me.

Boy, has she. Immeasurably!

And, her act of love and generosity has gotten me thinking--what can I do to bless someone else? What can you do? Remember: helping someone out doesn't have to cost you money...maybe you have a special skill and could help simply by using your God-given talents! A little thought can go a long way in an area like this.


So, if you like this idea, head on over to Jill's blog to participate. I think you will enjoy and be blessed by her blog as much as I am!