Random Acts - Day 7

Today we delivered a...

 

Yesterday I shared that we changed up our plans for today a little bit. When I first created our little advent calendar I had planned on getting a gift certificate for Redbox (you can print them online in case you’re wondering) and heading to our local Redbox location and handing out the free rental along with some popcorn and candy to a family waiting to rent a movie. That would have been great, and surely they would have been blessed, but after a conversation at MOPS this week I decided to make a little change. I like that we can be flexible with our acts of kindness and that there’s room to change things up or add things in as we feel led.

One of the mom’s at my table was widowed suddenly about two years ago. While we were all discussing our favorite family traditions as a table, she shared that she’d love to have more traditions and fun activities to do with her four year old daughter, but that she’s struggling to find her place now that her husband has passed away. Dynamics had shifted within her extended family after his passing and now they aren’t as included in family gatherings and events like they were in the past. She said she knew she wanted her daughter to have Christmas traditions and things to look forward to doing each year, but she just wasn’t sure where to begin. My heart broke as she spoke. We began sharing some ideas with her. I shared that one idea I’m looking forward to trying out this year has to do with the movie “The Polar Express”. I plan to have a family movie night and watch the movie, then we’ll get the kids all ready for bed only to find their very own ticket to ride the Polar Express on their pillows upon climbing into bed. We’d then buckle them into the car in their jammies, hand out some popcorn and set out to see Christmas lights. This idea most definitely did not come from me, by the way, most of my creative ideas come from Pinterest or other people’s blog. I found this one on Pinterest, you can read about it here if you are interested! I was shocked when my friend said she hadn’t even heard of the movie!

Later that day while the kids and I were completing our act of kindness for the day I felt the Lord stirring my heart to somehow include this mom and her daughter in our advent calendar. I knew we had our “Redbox” day coming up later in the week so I changed it ever so slightly, bought a copy of “The Polar Express” at Target, along with some candy, popcorn and fun little Christmas crafts from the Dollar Section and decided the kids and I would leave it on their doorstep.

This is what went into our box. 

 

All ready to be delivered!

Before heading out, I sat down with the kids and read them Isaiah 1:17 (in kid terms) "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." We talked about how hosting Dzintars this summer was us taking care of the orphan or fatherless and then we talked about what it meant to be a widow. I told them about their little cutie pie MOPS friend and how her daddy had died. When I explained what we were going to be doing for their friend and her mom their little hearts started breaking too. They both told me repeatedly how they were so sad that she didn't have a daddy anymore:( I can see how this experience is clearly changing them and causing them to see beyond themselves. Brennan has now created his own advent calendar for his stuffed animals, today he said they were going to take care of the homeless:)

My little elves and the box of fun!

Getting ready to sneak up and leave their box on the porch. 

 

Thumbs up for a successful and super stealthy delivery!

I chose to keep our name off the box, the note said it was from Santa's elves. I know a few of my MOPS friends read my blog, but I'm fairly certain this particular gal does not, so if you know who I am writing about, please don't blow our cover!!!! I realize some may think I am blogging about our acts of kindness to get recognition or a pat on the back. But nothing could be farther from the truth. I chose to blog about our special way of celebrating advent this year in the hopes that it would inspire others to look beyond themselves and figure out ways to serve others around them! If you've been following since the first the month, you'll know that I stole this idea from one of my favorite bloggers, Laura, at http://pitterpatterart.com/. She started this last year with her family and I was inspired to do it with mine this year and I'm hoping one of you will follow suit next year or even this year!

I'm loving our acts of service so much I plan on being intentional about serving others with my kids at least monthly and I'm even thinking of inviting a group of my mommy friends and their kiddos to join us! I can't tell you enough how much my kids little hearts have been impacted by this experience so far and we're only on day 7!

Tomorrow we will hand out...

I'm excited for the weekend so that daddy can join in on our fun!!