How perpective rang my bell

(Bucket given away by the Salvation Army to help with cleaning supplies for the cleaning of basements.)

One of the things that I dislike about Christmas time is entering to do my shopping at whatever store it may be and hearing a bell-ringer ringing a bell next to entrance of a store or worse yet when they stand in-between the entrance and the ringing of bell is magnified. Every so often when walking past the ringer I will throw in a handful of change. I don’t think twice because Christmas is crazy and I have enough to think about.

Well this week my bell got rung by a little perspective.

This week the area of New York I live in got hit very hard by flooding. What is amazing is the church was first to react. While FEMA held a meeting the local churches, Red Cross and the Salvation Army were helping the hurting. I saw first hand what the money that goes in those red buckets produces. I have been humbled and overwhelmed by the response the Salvation Army has had in my little town. They have handed out thousands of meals they have given out hundreds of buckets like the one at the beginning of my post as well as personal care items and bottled water. I have been blown away by the generosity that the Salvation Army has provided. What I find sad is in the over commercialization of Christmas and our lives in general it has led to a cynicism that isn’t good. I assumed things that unfortunately tragic events had to show me how wrong I was.

This christmas will be different I will welcome the bell ringers and every ring of every bell that used to annoy me will now be followed by a  prayer of thanks for an organization that Loves God and loves their neighbor.

Please join me in helping this organization help other communities in need. Here is a link if you want to know how you can give before the bell ringers show up. https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/