Gift to the Savior

The last two years, I have wanted to find a way to help our family remember the true meaning of Christmas throughout the month. Last year, we did a Service Challenge.

This year, I was inspired by the words of President Thomas S. Monson during the 2013 Christmas Devotional:

"As the Christmas season envelopes us with all its glory, may we, as did the wise men, seek a bright particular star to guide us in our celebration of the Savior's birth. May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking with us a tender, caring heart as our gift to the Savior."

I had the idea to wrap a box and cut out a slot in it. From now until Christmas, we will focus on doing something each day that shows a tender, caring heart. We'll write our good deed on a piece of paper and put it in the box. On Christmas, it will be the last present we open and we can read together our gifts to the Savior. I'm pretty sure this is an idea I heard somewhere and filed away. I'm just glad it resurfaced! Would it be too ambitious to hope this might become an annual tradition?

Things of this nature can be abstract/intimidating to children (and adults) so we have a list of ideas to help us remember the simple things we can do:

• Thank you letter
• Temple service (visit temple, family history, etc.)
• Pray for someone
• Random act of kindness
• Serve neighbor
• Watch a Mormon message
• Share your testimony about Christ
• Food drive
• Share encouraging words (missionary, military, sick, etc.)
• Secret service
• Volunteer to give a prayer in a church meeting
• Make copies of family recipes and give them to friends
• Forgive someone
• Say thank you to someone that helps you
• Say hi to someone new
• Spend personal time with your children
• Return your grocery cart in the stall
• Call or write a distant relative
• Hug someone
• Pick up litter
• Donate clothes
• Let someone go in front of you in traffic
• Help a child memorize the Articles of Faith
• Be patient with someone