New Year's Resolutions

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to volunteer for "Stuff the Bus," a Salvation Army event that allowed people to donate toys right outside of Wal-Marts throughout the Twin Cities by putting them on a big bus parked outside of the store. The goal was clear: to stuff the bus full of toys to give deserving children a great Christmas. I was at the Wal-Mart in Apple Valley, and was overwhelmed by the generosity of those donating. Some gave bags of toys, some gave just one toy, but all were digging deep during a difficult economical time to help others.

One donor in particular still sticks in my mind: A little boy and his mom approached the big bus, and as they came closer, I could see that his mom was crying. The little boy held a bag full of toys and as he offered it to be placed on the bus, we (the staff on the bus) asked her what was wrong. She told us that her son had been saving his allowance for months to throw a pizza party for his friends. It took him a long time, but he had finally saved $60. When they came to Wal-Mart that day, he saw the bus and his mom had explained to him that there were lots of children who wouldn't get any presents that Christmas, and that people were buying toys and putting them on the bus to help out. He told his mom that he wanted to help, and instead of buying one toy to give away, he spent his entire $60 on toys, and donated them all. His mom was so overcome with emotion, seeing her son spend every penny he had on children he didn't even know, that she couldn't stop crying. The rest of us were holding back our own tears as he put the toys on the bus and walked away, seeking no recognition or thanks for his self-sacrifice.

Last week during Christmas I kept thinking about this little boy, and how simple his touching example was: He saw a need, asked himself what he could do to help, and gave of himself in a sacrificial way. As I gave and received presents from friends and family, I asked myself how sacrificial I’ve been lately. Do I give, volunteer, serve others, etc. only when it’s convenient or would I follow this child’s example and allow myself to be inconvenienced in a significant way to help others?

As we go into the New Year, this is something I will be thinking about and working on in my own life. I guess you could even call it a resolution! And I encourage you to think about how you and your family can also strive to be more like this little boy throughout 2009 and in the many years to come.