I wondered why I had volunteered. I
had too many things to do. And I hate the cold. It gets into my bones until
nothing can make me feel warm again.
I had offered to be a bell ringer
for the Salvation Army’s Christmas drive. I bundled up and trekked to my
station at the local grocery store. I donned the blue apron and picked up the
emblem of my assignment, a small golden bell.
Then one by one the people came up
to the little red bucket dropping in the change or dollars. Sometimes people
felt like talking. Other times, they nodded and left. Still others dropped
their gift and scurried off to complete the sundry other tasks the season
required of them.
“I brought you here to teach you
something,” the Spirit said to my heart.
Not to be so quick to volunteer?
“No. I want you to study these people. Examine
the way they give.”
And, I did. To my amazement, I
learned the reasons for giving are as varied as the people who donate. Then I
began to see similarities in people’s motivation. And, I wondered where my heart
would fit among theirs.
The first lady gave from her sorrow.
This was her first Christmas without her mother. Her father had passed away
only a year before. Eyes brimming with tears, she pushed twenty dollars into
the bucket. “My mother was a bell ringer,” she said. “Thank you for doing
this.” Then she rushed off, uncomfortable with her emotions.
The Spirit spoke again: He was
despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering
(Isaiah 52:3).
The next person gave from his abundance.
His leather jacket and bulging wallet told all. He plopped a den-dollar bill
into the bucket, pleased with his generosity. He straightened his shoulders
with pride in his offering and left.
The Spirit spoke again: From
everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded: and from the one who
has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:48).
An elderly woman approached. Her
threadbare coat and raveled scarf told of her station in life. Her cart also
bore testament to her poverty. She stopped before the red canister, pulled out
a thin and worn wallet from her purse, and dropped in her last two coins.
“Maybe this will bring me good fortune,” she said. She gave from her need,
as if investing into generosity would bring better days.
The Spirit spoke yet again: And
my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ
Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
Another elderly woman stopped by
the kettle. Her head drooped from her heavy burden. She shrugged her shoulders
then reached into her purse for an assortment of change. “I feel guilty if I
pass by one of these drums and give nothing.” She trotted off, head slightly
higher. Her giving well was a fountain of guilt.
The
Spirit spoke anew: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before
me (Psalm 51:3).
Lastly, a young man eagerly
approached the drum, much akin to Tiger’s Happy Bounce, and tossed his coins
with a whistle. “I love this!” he said as he sailed out the door. “God’s been
good to me. This is one way I can say, ‘Thank you.’” The young man gave from a
spirit of gratitude.
The
Spirit spoke once more than fell silent: Each man should give what he has
decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God
loves a cheerful giver (1 Corinthians 9:7).
Then I knew what the Spirit wanted
me to learn. Christmas is a time for giving. I analyzed my own motivations. Do
I give begrudgingly because it’s expected? Do I donate from a feeling of loss?
Do I thrive on the hope one day my giving will be multiplied? Do I fear what
will happen if I do not give? I hope that from this day on my giving will be
from a grateful heart to a Savior who came as the atonement for my sins.
A native of Central New York, Linda Rondeau met and
married Steve Rondeau, her best friend in life, and managed a career in human
services before tackling professional writing. After thirty-four years of
marriage, they have relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, leaving rural
America to live in a city of one million.
While writing is her greatest passion, the more favorable temperatures of Florida allow her to follow another great passion--golf.
Linda is the wife of one patient man, the mother of
three, and the grandmother of nine.
An award winning author, Linda is multipublished. Linda's
first title, The Other Side of Darkness, released Fall 2012,
won the 2012 Selah Award for best first novel. Her first book in
her Sci-Fi, futuristic series, America II, written under L.W.
Rondeau released summer of 2012.
Synopsis for Back cover:
Midville newcomer and Iraq War
widow, Dorie Fitzgerald, despises the frigid Adirondack wasteland that has now
become her home. After twenty failed job interviews, she questions the wisdom
of moving to be near her parents. Desperate to belong, she joins the local
Community Theater, in production for It’s a Wonderful Life.
Jamey Sullivan has put his
professional life on hold in order to run the family business and to help his
ailing father. He signs on for Midville’s production of It’s a
Wonderful Life, although he hopes to receive a Broadway casting call
any day now.
When these two meet, they are
instantly attracted to one another. However, ambition, demanding children, and
a romantic rival threaten to squash their growing love for one another.
It Really is a Wonderful Life
is set in the beautiful Adirondack mountains, a perfect backdrop
for romantic conflict.
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