By Sherry Hopkins

Community Columnist

The young girls softly sang Christmas carols as they rifled through the big donation box filled with children’s pajamas. I am not sure they realized they were singing. It was like a glimpse of Heaven.

I did not interject. I just sat and listened with my eyes closed.

Girls this age (7, 8 and 9) can quickly become self conscious if you single them out for any reason. So as they sorted the pajamas by size and gender I left them to their task.

They were excited about this ministry project. They had come up with the idea all on their own following a deep discussion one Sunday evening in class. “Why can’t we give them pajamas?” was the question after we talked about how many children in this world, in our own world go to bed each night cold, hungry, neglected in the same clothes they have worn all day; maybe days.

So our first mission project was born.

We put the word out in church and donations flowed in. More than the box could hold.

As the collection time drew to an end there was a request for 12 pairs of pajamas for 12 needy children from three families in town. Then the lady making the request said,” We have a young boy who has a school Christmas program Friday and he is in need of pajamas. He has none.

So we rushed to town and handed over 12 pair that was just the sizes requested.

I can only imagine the delight on that little boys face when he realized that he would fit in the program just like every other child. Isn’t that what we all want; to fit in and be a part, to belong to something greater than we are? To know that we have been seen,  heard?

These young girls in my Sunday night class had an understanding of need and duty  beyond their tender years and that some adults fail to  ever have. They gave because they could and because it was required of them as believers in Christ Jesus. They were and are filled with compassion and joy and love. It spills out of them and onto me and others.

They understand that their world does not just include them but those around them, too.

They will soon grow into young adults and hopefully they will always keep this same joy and understanding in their hearts, not only at Christmas but everyday. May they always look at the world as a place of service and ministry.

May their hearts and hands always be willing to share and help. More than 50 pairs of pajamas were collected, bagged and donated by the girls. They rejoiced and oohed and aahhed over every single pair. And they sang quietly to themselves as they worked. “Joy to the World.”

Merry Christmas!