Five Ways You Can Show Love This Christmas

In America, we have two dynamic types of people, one with excess and one with need, but what makes us similar is our ability to show love to others. Jose and I have been married for 16 years and we have had plenty and we have had lack - yet no matter the season we were in we always made it a point to give.

Whether it was giving monetarily because we could or giving our time because that is all we had, either way we gave so that we can show love to others.

[Tweet "It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving – Mother Teresa"]

Here are Five Ways You Can Show Love This Christmas:

Bake Cookies for the Homeless – Make that famous chocolate chip cookie you are known for and put them in a cute baggie with Christmas ribbon. Then, either on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, pile the kids in the car. Before you head out, pray and ask God for direction on where to go and that He would guide you to meet those people that need to be shown love. Then head for the city. Hand them your cute cookie package and ask them if they need any prayer.

Serve a Meal at your Local Mission – Maybe you live right in the heart of a need that you can easily meet by joining with other volunteers to serve a meal to the less fortunate. Some of them don’t require you to prepare any food they are just welcome to have someone to help serve.

Give Coloring Books and Crayons to a Nursing Home – I know, not the traditional Christmas craft of cards, but I have never seen so many faces light up with a coloring book. It's as though they are a kid again and for those that are bedridden it is a time-waster they really do enjoy.

Buy a Coffee for the Salvation Army Bell-Ringer – That poor guy or gal stands out there in some parts of the country in blistering cold to ring that bell and bring attention to all us shoppers reminding us to give. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a coffee or hot chocolate in hand to give…along with a donation, of course.

Give 5 Hours of Your Time to a Cause – Maybe you’re strapped for cash, but know graphic design or organization really well. Maybe your Christmas list is financial over extended and you have nothing to give. Do you have a couple of hours that maybe you can help an organization that you believe in with your time as a volunteer. Offer your experience in accounting, marketing, creative design, cleaning, errands, whatever it is. Why 5 hours? Wouldn't it feel nice that you just gave $100 worth of your time? The verse in Luke 6:38 still applies with time also and maybe even God will give you more in return that you gave…try it.

This Christmas lets not wait until we are wealthy enough or can afford to give to show Love. We all can do something that can bring a smile to someones face. We can show Christ and His love through us.

Will you join me?

Do you give to a specific church or cause? What stopped you from giving? Let's talk about it in the comments below.