Does it matter if we matter?

 

 

And the Savior said, "That which you do for the least of you, you do for me..."

As we approach the holiday season, many people are gearing up for fun, family and festivities. It truly is a great time of the year. It is a time to eat our fill, watch a ton of football, and then abuse our credit cards on Black Friday. However, it is also a time for some to dread. People who have very little, people who have no home, people who have no family ties, or people who live on the margins of society.

In the past few years, my wife and I have seen our family traditions change as loved ones have passed on. We have also seen new traditions develop. One of the traditions we have let go of is giving material things to each other when the need is very little. That has been replaced by the gift of time. As we have aged, we understand just how important, how fleeting, time really is.

Another tradition we have adopted (and continue to develop) is trying to follow the teachings of Mathew 26 from the Holy Bible. Each year, we are trying more and more to give more of what we have blessed with to the least of us. Giving to where the need is the greatest. We are vetting charities to ensure monies or gifts given will be used for those who need it the most.

This year we will continue to give to a charity named World Vision. For the past ten years, we have sponsored a child in Haiti through World Vision. Through World Vision, last year we were also able to give a year end gift to buy a few shares to dig a deep well in Africa. As excited as we are to help charities such as Feed My Starving Children, the powdered food sent to hungry people does little good unless there is a source of clean drinking water available.

This year, using gifts received at my wife's father's memorial service, we are going to try to buy an entire deep well. It is not cheap, but the impact will be enormous. It will supply hundreds, maybe thousands of people with abundant, clean drinking water for decades.

Like most years, I look forward to this holiday season with great expectation. New life is about to join our family with as my oldest daughter is set to give birth in January. It is also a time of reflection as this will be our first holiday season without my wife's father. After a full life, he is now gone. Only memories, very good memories remain. Somewhere in Africa, a deep well will soon be dug. It will not be named after him, but as far as we are concerned, it will be part of his legacy. And that, along with the memories, is what really matters.