The Joy of Giving

Every year we have a Christmas tree in the lobby at our church.  It is our own "Angel Tree."  We hang angels on the tree and each angel has the name of a child from the Pleasant Hills Children's Home.  On the back it has their age and what they would like.  This year we got a little girl Samantha's age who wanted clothes for her Barbie Doll. 

Today the children from the home were at our morning service.  At the end of the service, our Pastor passed out the gifts to them and as they got their gift they sat across the front of the church platform steps.  After the all the gifts were passed out, pastor did a count down and they opened the gifts.  It was such a joy to see how happy they were.  Samantha asked to meet the little girl who got the gift we took.  When we walked over to her she was ripping those Barbie clothes and accessories out of the package and putting them in a little bag she had.  She told Samantha that she had her Barbie doll in the car.  She said she had brought her so she could dress her on the way home.  Samantha was happy to see the other child's joy.

The church served pizza for the kids in the fellowship hall before they had to make the 2 hour drive back to their home.  I'm sure there was a Barbie doll getting dressed and dressed again several times after that pizza party.

I am thankful for a church that is so willing to share God's love with others.

Below is a picture of some of the excited children opening their gifts.