What makes my heart sing?

     Spending time with my two daughters

        and doing kindnesses for others.

I was able to do both today.

Early this morning we all threw on our coats

   and scampered out to the car.

It was time for some Christmas shopping.

Christmas in November?

Yes, shopping for our two other girls.

We support two precious girls through World Vision.

One lives in Guatemala

   and the other in India.

Both absolutely dear to our hearts as we pray for them

    and give each month.

We eagerly read the notes on their progress

    that we receive from time to time.

We smile when we look at sweet drawings

   and put them up on our refrigerator.

Separated by many miles

   but joined in heart.

It’s our annual tradition to go shopping for our girls

   and this year we knew before we even entered a store

   what we would buy.

A doll for Sneha

   and clothing for Yennifer.

Where should we go?  We all agreed on our favorite local store.

 As if someone knew in advance

    it all came together like magic.

We looked at the dolls

   and then at each other.

We knew which one sparkled with beauty for little Sneha.

   A Cinderella doll.

Then we looked through racks and counters of clothing

   only to decide on a lovely pink blouse and some bracelets.

“She’ll look nice in that,” we all agreed.

Heart beating together with joy.

Making Christmas for girls whom we had never met

    might not ever meet

  but knowing that it was something we could do

   to show our love, care and commitment.

Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?

God’s love reaching down to us

   Sending us His only Son

   giving to us His very Best

  so that we might know Him.

Yes, it all came together for us today.

Love reaching.

What traditions do you have at Christmas?

Let’s be sure

   that all we do be inspired by Love

    and given in love

      from hearts that love one another.