8 Ways to Give this Christmas

Hey y’all!  As Christmas continues to rapidly approach, you’re probably making daily mental lists of what gifts you have already bought and who you are still missing a present for.  “Who do I still need to buy for?” is probably THE question of the season. I totally get it; I’ve been doing it too!  But instead of thinking, “this person expects a gift” (because, you know, that’s the truth for most of those on your list), why not take a moment to contemplate “who can I unexpectedly bless this Christmas with a gift?”

On my gift list, for example, I have my parents, grandparents, 2 siblings, a stocking stuffer for each of my family members, and a few close friends to buy for.  For those in my family, at least, it is obviously expected that I buy gifts for them.  I mean, if I were to wake up on Christmas morning and not have a gift for anyone, I would probably get a serious lecture and many looks of disbelief.  My siblings and I drew names for gifts, so it’s kinda expected that we actually buy those people gifts! :)

But is that it?  Is that the extent of our Christmas giving?  Don’t get me wrong: it’s awesome to give to your family and friends!  But what about giving, not out of necessity, but to bless someone instead?  What if we gave a totally unexpected, thoughtful present to someone… just because?!

So, here’s a list of 8 completely optional gift ideas.  I’m not asking you to do all of them, or even any at all.  My goal in sharing with you these 8 gift ideas is to make you think about how you can personally bless someone this Christmas.  Whether you use one of these ideas or not!

1) Send a Christmas card.  And I’m not talking about your annual family Christmas card you send to practically everyone in the world. There’s nothing like a handmade card and warm Christmas greeting, written in your own penmanship and including a Bible verse!  Check out this card design or this one:

2) Give a “just because” gift to a random person.  A few years ago, my mom was shopping when all of a sudden, a man ran up to her with a 20 dollar bill in his hand.  When he asked my mom if she had dropped it, and she said no, he handed it to her and smiled and said, “Well then, Merry Christmas!” and walked away.  He had no idea who my mom was, but he saw someone and wanted to bless them.

3) Bake cookies or another sweet treat for a college student during exams. A sweet lady at my church did this for my brother this past week.  She wanted to bless him in his studying and reward his hard work!

Delicious cookies! :)

4) Make and give “blessing bags.”  Plan a day where you and your friends and/or family get together, go shopping, and then package up “blessing bags” for homeless people.  These bags could include toothbrushes, granola bars, a to-go mug, washcloths, hand-warmers, and more.  Carry them in your car and give out to homeless people as you see them.

5) Donate to a ministry.  There are numerous ministries you can donate to this season to support.  Give to help others give around the world!

6) Give to a food pounding/drive.

7) Give your time and help out a person in need. Whether it’s for an afternoon or just an hour, give your time to help someone who needs it.  Help out a single mom or clean for an elderly widow!

8) Give a Bible

There you go!  There are 8 ways you can give this Christmas!

What would add to this list?
Have you ever done any of these things?
What are your thoughts on giving/blessing others this Christmas?