Leadership Thought: The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Dear Friend, 

I am sitting here at my desk this morning reflecting on what I might write for today's Leadership Thought. I confess that Christmas and other holidays are hard for me as these special days are generally a time when I am with my family, and there will always be that empty chair around the dinner table. 

It has been my second Christmas without Jean, and as I write I confess the thought of her not being with us on Christmas morning brings tears to my eyes as I type these words. 

They say each year gets a little easier, but those who have lost loved ones know that this is not always the case.

I have found the best antidote to one's sadness is service, to forget one's loss by focusing on doing something for others. 

And so last night I called one of Jean's close friends who is now in a nursing home and suffering through the early stages of dementia, and I invited her to join us for our family Christmas dinner.

Serving and caring for others takes the focus off ourselves and our own needs and  reminds us that one of the best ways to help yourself is to help others.

Noted pastor and author Chuck Swindoll invites us to be daily "gift givers" as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, and he lists a number of special gifts we can offer others in a recent article titled "The Gift That Keeps on Giving." 

Mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion. Hug someone tightly and whisper, "I love you." Forgive an enemy. Be gentle and patient with an angry person. Express appreciation. Gladden the heart of a child. Make or bake something for someone else. Anonymously. Listen. Speak kindly to a stranger. Enter another's sorrow. Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more. Lessen your demands on others. Apologize if you were wrong. Talk together with the television off. Do the dishes for the family. Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly. Encourage an older person. Point out one thing you appreciate about someone. Offer to babysit for a weary mother. This is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 Let's make Christmas one long, extended gift of ourselves to others—just like God's great gift of love to us. Unselfishly. Without announcement. Or obligation. Or reservation. Or hesitation. Now that's what I call a Merry Christmas! Yours in faith and friendship, Tom