Being homeless is never an enjoyable experience, but it can be especially tramatic over the holidays.  Families with children seem to suffer the most.  The little ones are afraid that Santa won’t find them at the homeless shelter.  The older children and adults get depressed because they know they have no money to buy gifts.

Our society has made Christmas the big hoopla it is.  The more lights, the bigger gifts, the fancier cookies, all seem to measure the quality of our Christmas.  All these things are fun and a part of the celebration, but what if you didn’t have all this.  What if you were thrown out of your home just days before Christmas?

Every year I try to keep the week right before Christmas open, so I can help at out area homeless shelter.  I have wrapped the residents gifts for several years now.  I love doing it and they seem to like my work.  Many businesses and social agencies buy gifts for the residents.  When we get cash donations, we can actually ask them what they would like for Christmas.

One of the ways that Jesus will judge the nations is by things we did or did not do to help those in need. Matthew 25:35-40.  Jesus himself was homeless all of His adult life.  Would we serve the homeless in our area if we know Jesus was staying at the shelter?  He says that if we do it to “one of the least of these”, you have done it unto Me.

There are so many ways we can help those in need, and not only at Christmas time.  It didn’t cost me one penny to wrap all those presents last week.  It needed to be done and I loved doing it.  It made me so happy to share in their joy, even if I wasn’t there to see them unwrapped.  I feel so blessed to have this opportunity each year.

Think about what you can do to help those in need throughout the upcoming new year.  PLEASE, don’t wait until Christmas to show love and compassion to those less fortunate than yourselves.