Slippers for Christmas

Slippers.  Flip-flops.  Whatever we call them they are not the most important thing in our fashion world.  We use them casually, in our homes (some even leave them outside their homes!), when our feet need to rest.  We take them for granted.  Of course there are some that take slippers seriously, who buy the Havaianas, or the Adidas slippers so that they look "cool" and fashionable even at home or at the beach.  But generally speaking, what is in a slipper?  It's just an extra in life.

But I recently realized how important slippers can be.  Our church recently partnered with "MEANS", a U.S. based Christian organization that supports churches and projects here in the Philippines, to bless elementary school children this Christmas with slippers.  We gave away slippers to all elementary students of the school.  The first thing that came to my mind was "slippers? why such a simple gift?".  Was that all that the budget could afford?  Couldn't we think of something a little more important, or needful for these children.

Then, we arrived in the school.  This was one of the first things that I saw:

Ok...we were giving away slippers, so it was only fitting that they make a christmas "tree" out of slippers.  Cute.  Until someone told me that these were the actual slippers that the children were using to go to school!  So, I took a closer look...

Most of us will never allow our slippers to get this worn out, even if we just use them at home.  The moment they become uncomfortable or look worn out we buy new ones.  But these children were so hard up that they would use their slippers to the very end!  As long as there was something shielding their feet from the ground they would wear it.  In fact, some of them did not wear slippers to school at all!  Some of these kids were children of farmers, lived in relocation sites, and could not afford to buy slippers whenever they wanted.

Many of us look at slippers as "extras" - things we wear at home, or at the beach.  Some look at them as fashion statements, buying havaianas, adidas, or nike slippers and wear them with pride.  But we forget that there are those who look at slippers as necessities, to the point that even if they look like the pictures above they still use them "till their dying day", whenever that is.

That's when I realized our giving away "slippers" was no small thing for the children.  It was a joy to see them excited, and smiling, when they received their gifts.

What may seem simple to us, may be a big thing to someone else.  This is why we should never withhold ourselves from giving to others, no matter how simple the gift.

Acts 20:35 (NIV)
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

We are usually more excited to receive, just like little children during Christmas who only think of what gifts they will receive.  Human nature believes that it is "more blessed to receive than to give".  But Jesus promises another kind of blessedness - a blessedness that comes from Him, and that comes from giving.  If we just allow ourselves to be givers, no matter how simple the gift, we not only bless others, but allow ourselves to experience the blessedness of God.  If we would just make ourselves available to the Lord to be His instruments of giving.

Remember what John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He GAVE...".