A special Christmas tradition we have in our Master’s class is to draw names for one another at the beginning of December. We keep the names a secret. The students spend time getting to know those unique things about each other that will make their gift truly appreciated. This year was such a joy for me as I chose to focus on the giver of each present. It was thrilling to watch the joy as they eagerly waited to see the reaction to their gift. There were smiles everywhere as gratitude was expressed over and over. The room was filled with goodness and it was apparent that each offering came from the heart.
We unwrapped homemade cookies, hats, paintings, shirts, blankets and so much more! One talented musician even wrote a song for the girl whose name he had drawn.
The smiles continued as we drove to the local homeless shelter to deliver over 500 cans and boxes of food that the students had collected. They even invited us in to share a few Christmas carols with those who were having lunch inside. We all agreed that giving is the best gift of all!