Wrapping paper by ProPrintWear
Bless me readers,
for I have transgressed my own advice.
It's been one month since I published this post
and here's what I did...
I bought some Christmas gifts on Thursday, all at the same store, and on the way out I came upon a table where two young men from a drug rehab program for teenagers were wrapping gifts to raise money for their efforts. They had no set price for wrapping - a free will offering was all they asked. They only offered wrapping paper and Scotch Tape - no ribbons or bows - but it wasn't "brown paper packages tied up with string."
Rationalizing and convincing myself that a donation would support a good work and might some how make up a little for the trees that died to make the paper - and that my time this week could be better spent on activities other than wrapping gifts - I gave in to temptation!
My guilt got to me and I made a donation generous enough that one of the two wrappers asked me where I was from and then what kind of work I did... That led him to share that he's in a college program studying for the ministry and pretty soon there was more "praising God" going on than Barnes and Noble might comfortably tolerate at their front doors!
For my penance I pledge not to buy ribbons and bows to add to these packages and this Christmas I promise to save any reusable gift bags and the like and to recycle them next year!
-ConcordPastor
You transgressed for a good reason. You are forgiven.
ReplyDeleteNice work Padre! Reminds me of the "always and never" lesson for Ryan
ReplyDeleteI'm just seeing this post for the first time and thought I'd mention that my dad has been wrapping with brown paper for the past few years, using his artistic talent to make the gifts look fancy with creative ribboning and marker drawings. We used to use the "funny pages" to wrap gifts when I was a kid but not getting a paper with these we didn't have this option this year. I discovered Trader Joe's paper bags! They are decorated with holiday themes this time of year and make great wrapping paper! I'm sure there are other things like that out there too (all the kids' artwork...)
ReplyDeleteAlso, have you seen Bill McKibben's little book called The Hundred Dollar Holiday? If not, I'll have to lend it to you.
Merry Christmas,
Meighan