Gift Giving and Goats

This past Wednesday, I finally made it to church (Wednesdays have been notoriously rough for me)…just in time for a business meeting. I was not thrilled and almost lost my desire to attend, until two things occurred. 1.) Jeff told me the church was voting on making him the unpaid Minister of Education and 2.) the realization that in the Southern Baptist world, a handful of people are present during business meetings, and they’re the ones who get to make the decisions. Well, I have a responsibility, both as a Christian and as a member of my local church, to make my voice heard and my vote count.

It turned out to be quite a business meeting. I did happen to be the only dissenting vote on a particular issue, for which I was teased afterward that “don’t you know you never dissent at a business meeting?” Apparently, I don’t follow those unwritten rules. I’ve always voted my mind and my conscience. I love the autonomy of each Southern Baptist Church. All of this, though, is besides the issue I actually want to address.

Our youth minister gave his report first, and mentioned his idea for giving back at Christmas. I loved it. His idea was to charge the youth a minimal fee (of like $5 or so) to attend their annual Christmas party. Instead of bringing a white elephant gift that no one wants or needs, the money will be collected to purchase a goat or two, preferably, to sustain a family in a needy country, providing them a way to eat and make money. Ingenious.

I was quite honestly bothered by the number of jokes/giggles/guffaws after he’d made the statement and fielded questions. I didn’t (and still don’t) understand how such a gift, as odd as it may be to our American senses, would be so funny. A pair of goats, to a family in most of our third world countries, would be a treasure beyond their wildest dreams.

And then it hit me at dinner time tonight when I heard my own two older children complaining about what I’d cooked for dinner (a turkey bacon, potato, feta, and chicken medley) and I, probably a bit too harshly, told them that there were many children in the world who were hungry enough to be thankful to eat their medley plus some. Though Jeff and I currently have no income, we still have the luxury, and I stress that word, of choosing what we’ll eat for dinner. For how many of our third world counterparts could boast that same extravagance? We still have the luxury of paying our bills (thanks to many of you) with hot running water, heat in the winter, cool air in the summer, a full refrigerator, and the occasional dining out/date.

To give a gift of a goat, or a couple of ducks…something which would shock us if anyone ever deigned to present it…would be Christ in action both to those who know him and those who don’t. It would provide a source of income long after the first few cups of milk were downed. Do we even feel the least bit guilty about how much we have (and how much we toss out) when our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world don’t even have clean water or the ability to find food to nourish their children?

I tell you it should make us feel more than uncomfortable. We should be downright ashamed. It should make you want to DO something about those feelings. We are. I didn’t even have to tell Jeff what I was thinking. He suggested we help our children empty out their piggy banks and make up the difference so it becomes a family project, where we help purchase a goat, or two, if possible, for another family, and we explain to our children what we’re doing and how it helps 1.) the family and 2.) brings honor to God.

World Vision, that superb organization, has its website full of ways to donate. They even have a catalog for you to look through. I urge you to seriously consider finding a listed way to support a family this year, especially since we’re coming upon the season of thanksgiving and celebrating risen Christ’s birthday. One of my favorite verses is Matthew 6:21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” Put your money where it counts. Give the gift of a goat….or something!

http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?go=gift&&section=10389