Hope to the Hopeless

The holidays can be the hardest time of year. Illness, poverty, loss, loneliness, abandonment. All these are magnified by the hustle and bustle of the joyful facade. The smile turns to a grimace and the countdown to Christmas is for a very different reason. The number of days until it's all finally over.

We must never forget the broken, the hurting, the fearful.

I think about this often. How can I show love and compassion to someone in a way that isn't patronizing? I am not outgoing, and I'm generally uncomfortable around people. These are some of the things I have come up with so far.

1. Give anonymously to specific people you know are in need.

2. Be kind and patient with people and give them grace. I am still working on this one and fall short often. However, I try to be more intentional about it this time of year.

3. Open your home to people who don't have anywhere else to go for the holidays. This is a bit more difficult because we often travel to visit family. But maybe we have a celebration when we are home. This would align with the season of Christmastide, carrying the celebrations over 12 days rather than just one.

4. Be an advocate. Not on the internet, but with people you know. Challenge prejudices and offer different perspectives. Not out of a feeling of superiority, but from a desire to make a difference. Do this with kindness and know that you won't change peoples' minds without kindness and compassion.

What ways have you found to show compassion and grace to people. How can we approach this with intention over the next year? I do not excel in this area, but I want to be better.