Last night I stood in the lobby of our local Kroger and rang the bell for the Salvation Army. We do this as a family because we want to give our children an opportunity to develop a heart for missions. Here's my observations:
My bell always seemed to ring a little louder and clearer when a donation had been made!
It was 4 degrees outside last night as I rang. Even though I was "inside" and wearing a down filled parka, wool socks and boots,my feet and fingers were frozen by the time my husband arrived to relieve me. I'm thankful that I have a warm home to go to and don't have to sleep on the streets. I don't worry about where my next meal is coming from. I am blessed!
Men seem to be more generous than women. The older people exited the store with their donations in hand. The more affluent people were less likely to meet my eye and frequently answered my request "Care to help the Salvation Army this evening?" with "I don't have any cash" (Likely since so many people deal only in credit/debit cards now a days). I did find that ASKING for a donation caused some people to stop and dig into their purse or pocket. Children were willing to ask their parents for a donation and I always let them ring my bell once they placed their money the red kettle.
I came away from my stint a little happier, a littl more in tune with the Spirit of Christmas.
I want to be more generous person and will make sure I have small bills on hand so I don't pass up a bell ringer in the future! Generous giving makes me feel like a better person. I admit I don't give to just any charity or person collecting on the side of the road. I do my homework to make sure my donation is well administered--that takes some effort on my part. I want to model generosity so I have to be ready this season!
Merry Christmas!
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