More common these days than church bells or choir bells at Christmastime is the jingling we hear at many a storefront. It is the sound of faithful volunteers ringing out a call to give. The sight of those red metal buckets has become such a normal part of the Christmas season that it’s easy to walk right by without giving it a second thought. I’m guilty of it myself. Many times I don’t want to dig in my purse for change simply because I’m freezing and want to get indoors out of the cold as quickly as possible. My dislike for chilly temperatures makes me sympathize for those selfless bell-ringers standing outdoors for hours on end. This got me thinking about what I could do to help make their time there a little bit warmer and more enjoyable. So, I came up with a plan.
I loaded my kids up in the car and we headed to the nearest gas station. I told them each to get a cup of hot chocolate, but that they weren’t allowed to drink it. Then I gave them the plan. We would drive up to the front of a few stores which had bell ringers at the doors and surprise them with a cup of hot chocolate. When at first my kids were sad about not getting to drink it themselves, they were suddenly filled with excitement. I had also thought they might be a little apprehensive about approaching a complete stranger and giving them a hot drink. Boy, was I wrong! On the contrary, they started arguing about who got to give their hot chocolate away first. What followed was one of the most fun experiences my kids and I have ever had.
The initial reaction of those being given the hot chocolate was that of confusion, then surprise. Then came questions like, “Is that really for me?” and “Are you serious?” At the response in the affirmative, a smile would spread across their face. Sometimes you’d see a tear forming in their eye. An outpouring of thanks would immediately follow. Then as we drove away, we’d look back to see them sipping away, a smile still on their face. After the exhilarating experience, I took the kids back to the gas station to get some hot chocolate of their own.
What we quickly found was that it doesn’t always take huge gestures to touch a life. Sometimes just making someone feel noticed and meeting a momentary need can leave an impact on them that they will remember forever.
And now, this is where the challenge comes in. Take this idea and run with it! See how exhilarating it is when you do something out of the ordinary to make someone’s day better. In the process, you’ll find yourself feeling much happier, too!
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