Good morning…
For our make-shift shop, nine of us laid out awesome gifts donated by many generous people in our community. Why create a Secret Santa Shop for vulnerable, at risk children to choose and to wrap gifts for their loved ones? For me, the best answer to this question is a story.
******
LOVE DOES THAT by Meister Eckhart
All day long a little burro labors, sometimes
with heavy loads on her back and sometimes just with worries
about things that bother only
burros.
And worries, as we know, can be more exhausting
than physical labor.
Once in a while a kind monk comes
to her stable and brings
a pear, but more
than that,
he looks into the burro’s eyes and touches her ears
and for a few seconds the burro is free
and even seems to laugh,
because love does that.
Love frees.
******
In our Secret Santa Shop we offered a variety of symbolic “pears,” soft and sweet.
We looked each child in their eyes. We put our hand on their shoulder and patiently walked them through their special selections. We wrapped each gift, writing the names of their loved ones on their personalized tags. I cannot even start to guess the long list of worries these kids carry each day as they face the challenging effects of poverty. But I do sense that for a few seconds these burdened children were free.
Free to laugh.
Free to imagine.
Free to browse.
Free to discern.
Free to touch.
Free to choose.
Free to learn what love does.
“Love frees,” they experientially felt, “love frees us to freely love.”
“Allow the children to come to me,” Jesus said. “Don’t forbid them, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these children” (Matthew 19:14, CEB).
Now an old phrase I adore rises up from within. “I would rather build a boy than mend a man.” For a wildly fun two hours on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, we were building boys and girls with God’s love that frees us all.
…Sue…
P.S. Thanks to all of you who donated gift items and gift cards for the kids’ parents and to all who graciously played Santa’s elves in our soulful shop. Today, from 1:45 to 4:00 pm, is the Christmas party for the children in our PAWkids after school program. Along with their own bag of gifts, each child will receive a new coat, chosen just for them, thanks to the coat drive organized by Molly Monk and her friends at All Saints Episcopal Church. Please reach out to me if you are interest in coming to today’s party with us.
