The Perfect Double Gift

My 4th story for Chicken Soup for the Soul appeared in their most recent anthology, Random Acts of Kindness that was released in February. I love their books as does my entire family, especially when one of my stories appear. So, it was no surprise when one of my nieces-in-law, Linda, requested the latest book for her birthday. 

Because Linda and my other niece-in-law Val have March birthdays, my sister always hosts a family party to celebrate their birthdays along with one of my nephews. It's a great, big, extended family celebration, but it's sometimes difficult to come up with something interesting and different as a gift.

I remembered that Val had also asked about the book earlier, so it was an easy decision to give them both a book as a present. I decided also to give them each microlights which seem to currently be a big trend in decorating. And then another idea occurred: Add a simple $5 Walmart gift card that they could use to perform their own random act of kindness!

What happened then is very special. Val knew immediately that she would give the card to one of the needy individuals who is often seen standing at a highway off-ramp, something she often does. It didn't take long for her to discover someone who would appreciate the card.

But, the most remarkable story came from Linda. She was shopping at Walmart and heard an elderly lady in the next aisle talking to a clerk. "Don't you have something a little cheaper?" she asked. "I don't have the extra $4 to spend." When the clerk said no, Linda popped around the corner to give the woman the $5 gift card.

Are you sensing the same divine intervention that I did? The woman was short $4 so the $5 gift card covered the deficit and the taxes. Now that's what I would call somewhat of a miracle! It not only won the gratitude of the recipient, but made Linda feel so good inside too. That's a double gift, and now Linda wants to carry more gift cards to give out for just such occurrences. She learned what Val already knew about random acts of kindness.

Who would believe that something so simple as a $5 gift card could bring such happiness to the givers and the recipients. God, through Jesus, certainly knew what He was doing when He commanded us to love and care for one another. Now that's what I call a truly double gift!

What Happened to Easter?

Easter is the most important holiday to Christians, or at least, it is supposed to be. It surpasses Christmas because Jesus' birth wouldn't have been important without His resurrection. That's why it is so mind boggling that it has become just another day for so many people.

Because I wasn't feeling well, I missed Easter services - something I really disliked having to do because I had every intention to attend and I enjoy the wonderful celebration. I would have missed Easter dinner at my sister's, too, except that I was bringing dessert. I'm sure God forgave me for missing church, but you don't want to fail your family by not bringing what is almost as important as the entree.

Granted, Christmas is celebrated secularly and non-secularly, and I believe doing so with Easter isn't really a change from decades ago either. But, while my faith has certainly deepened over the ages to celebrate on a more non-secular level, there are things I truly miss from my childhood.

I remember receiving a new outfit every Easter. Usually it was very dressy and something to show off to my grandmother on Easter Sunday when we traveled to her home an hour and half away. It might even be worn on an occasional visit to church, but much of my early years were spent as a CEO (Christmas and Easter Only, as said by my niece Kym). Still, I knew what the holiday was really about.

In grade school, we had Good Friday off as well as the following Monday. We sang Easter songs and made paper Easter baskets that my teachers filled with chocolate or creme eggs. I remember also the sheer joy of finding and counting how many baskets and nests were left for me to find on Easter morning. I even recall the 3' tall stuffed Easter bunny that my father slipped in my arms when I was 13 and sleeping  But what I don't recall is seeing crowded store parking lots like they were on Easter at Home Depot and Menard's as I traveled to my sister's home just outside of town.

It's unfortunate that stores (I'm sure there were many more than the DIYs) couldn't even be closed on Easter, and even more sad that so many people thought they needed to shop. So much for the reverence of Easter! Add that to little TV programming for the holiday, and the fact that some  network decision makers obviously don't know the Old Testament from the New Testament because what they do run are shows like "The Ten Commandments" and "Sodom and Gomorrah." I had to wait for "The Robe," and "The Greatest Story Every Told" until the actual day of Easter.  Granted, there were a few other good programs like "Killing Jesus, Finding Jesus," and others focusing on Jesus' DNA and the Shroud of Turin.

I think the overall issue here is that it's too easy to forget our Creator. Too many people miss the joy and peace that come with a belief in something far greater than oneself. So, for my part, I'm going to do my best to live my faith, and celebrate what should be celebrated. Example, as Jesus so perfectly demonstrated, is often the best way to affect change. (And, yes, I did make the sugar cookies from scratch in the photo that accompanies this blog entry.)😃