{"id":2098,"date":"2010-12-23T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2010-12-23T10:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/beyondblue\/2010\/12\/the-perfect-christmas-gift-the.html"},"modified":"2010-12-23T10:00:26","modified_gmt":"2010-12-23T10:00:26","slug":"the-perfect-christmas-gift-the","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beyondblue\/2010\/12\/the-perfect-christmas-gift-the.html","title":{"rendered":"The Perfect Christmas Gift: The Encouragement Box"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Christmas<\/span>
\nThe following post was written by Diana Keough, who created ShareWIK.com<\/a>. Since you all know how important my self-esteem file<\/a> is, I thought you’d enjoy her story. You can find the original post at ShareWIK.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Every year, buying Christmas presents is one of those tasks I put off. I’m not one of those people who can go shopping in a department store in July and think, “My sister would love this for…Christmas!”<\/p>\n

I wish I were that organized. <\/p>\n

But one year, my friend, Jeanette, gave me the perfect gift: an empty box. She gave it to me as a “thank you” gift after I spoke to a small gathering at her home. Inside she tucked a note, thanking me not only for speaking but also for the gift of our friendship. <\/p>\n

I wasn’t quite sure what to do with the box. But I graciously thanked her, carried it home and placed it on the hearth in my husband’s office (it was the first place I sat when I got home that evening.)
\nAnd I left it there.<\/p>\n

A month of so later, my husband–trying to clear his desk of all my junk that always finds its way there–placed a pile of letters in my arms. They were notes and cards sent to me by readers and listeners of my work that I’d dumped on his desk because I just didn’t know what else to do with them. It didn’t seem appropriate to file them and I certainly didn’t want to throw them away. <\/p>\n

The day my husband dumped all these on me, had been a frustrating one. As I banged away at my computer, trying to meet an afternoon deadline, nothing seemed to flow. I had walked away from my keyboard, discouraged and tired, wondering why I was doing what I do. What difference was I making in others’ lives? Like the article I was working on, I had no focus, no purpose. <\/p>\n

I felt like quitting. <\/p>\n

And what the heck was I going to do with all these letters? Trying to decide, I plopped myself down on the hearth next to that hand-painted box and began rereading each note and card. <\/p>\n

“Thank you for your article on…it touched me,” one note said. “Your article made me think,” said another. On and on I read, and each time I finished another, I would place it inside my box. Each letter encouraged me and buoyed my spirits. <\/p>\n

The very last letter I read, someone wrote: “I know you must get discouraged, but remember what God reminds us in Galations 6:9-10–“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” <\/p>\n

Wham. A spiritual spanking. I had taken my eyes off of Him. The work I do isn’t about me, it’s about Him. <\/p>\n

Click here to continue reading.<\/a><\/p>\n

* Click here to subscribe to Beyond Blue<\/b><\/a> and click here to follow Therese on Twitter<\/b><\/a> and click here to join Group Beyond Blue<\/b><\/a>, a depression support group. Now stop clicking.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following post was written by Diana Keough, who created ShareWIK.com. Since you all know how important my self-esteem file is, I thought you’d enjoy her story. You can find the original post at ShareWIK.com. Every year, buying Christmas presents is one of those tasks I put off. I’m not one of those people who…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2098","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-inspiration-and-prayer","category-mental-health"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Perfect Christmas Gift: The Encouragement Box - Beyond Blue<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/beyondblue\/2010\/12\/the-perfect-christmas-gift-the.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Perfect Christmas Gift: The Encouragement Box - Beyond Blue\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The following post was written by Diana Keough, who created ShareWIK.com. 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