Christmas List of Love

Hi, I'm Trudi and I'm posting on the blog for my first time! I receive and sort donations at The Mustard Seed Calgary's Resource Sorting Centre. As Christmas draws closer I go over my list of the "to dos" and the "yet to gets", and I'm finding it impossible to concentrate. My thoughts keep running off course, traveling back to a time last season when a client asked me for help with her own Christmas list. She knocked quietly on the door to the donation room where we (before we moved) sorted clothing and hygiene. Her eyes, weary and desperate, told her story before she spoke a word. She was going home for Christmas this year, out of province, and wanted more than anything to bring gifts for her children and grandchildren.

   She had no money but offered to give us a hand during our busiest time of the year if we could possibly help her out. I wasn't really sure if we would receive anything suitable for her loved ones, however I answered without hesitation. "Yes, for sure, we would love to help you." This was truly a joyous moment. It's what you could call a stepping stone leading to a life God intended. This woman was a hard core drug addict and could have chosen a less dignified or less honest way of getting the gifts she needed; instead she reached out to The Mustard Seed in a sober state of mind, asking for help with what we all want: to spend quality time with our families during the holidays.

   Over the next week or so we all worked incredibly hard, but not once during the whirl-wind of activity did we ever lose focus or forget about the special request. The other volunteers and I kept a careful watch for donated items that we felt might make great presents. We felt that, piece by piece this list would surely come together by the time she had to leave. This was a task of love that took top priority in our little sorting room and it was important that we helped fill this woman's request. Well, I'm happy to say we found all the right presents thanks to the generosity of our donors! Our client was truly grateful, as were we for her. On her last day with us she thanked everyone, and we embraced one another wholeheartedly with gratitude. At that moment that we had found everything for her, I felt a true sense of hope for this woman and I believe she felt it too. This will be a Christmas I will never forget. She might not have known this, but she gave us a gift as well -, she gave us the spirit of Christmas.