Challenged

I love Advent!  I love this period of waiting for Christmas.  I'm old enough to take the commercialism with a shovelful of salt and enjoy quite a lot of the razzamatazz without being bothered by it.  Advent is a time of reflection and thinking, thinking about the birth of Christ but also of the people whom he came to save.  I have known and loved many people throughout my life and I have in my turn been loved and I thank God.

I was delighted to find that The Bible Society has devised an Advent Challenge for us all to join in.  Today's challenge is centered on the story which we know as the Good Samaritan.  There are three actions to choose from. 

Talk to, or give some food to, someone sleeping rough

Help a stranger pack their shopping or load it into their car

Offer to shop for someone who can’t get out.

I don't think there is anyone sleeping rough in Caistor, I'm the person for whom others offer to shop and I doubt if anyone would be too happy at the thought of a lady on a mobility scooter packing their car so at first glance I feel a bit limited on this one.  However, I shall sort out some tins for the food bank and I shall make sure I include a couple of cans of salmon,  Many years ago I delivered a food parcel to an elderly lady and included a small Christmas cake and an even smaller home-made Christmas pudding but it was the tin of salmon which excited her most.  That would be a treat for some time in the future when the offers of special Christmas meals had come to an end and January and February could seem a little joyless.  Thank you, Edna, for teaching me that.

If you want to see the Bible Society Challenge look here.