Our resource Light Up uses contemporary news photos with verses about Jesus as the Light of the World, creating a thought-provoking reflection on what the Christmas story means in the real world.
Patricia, who lives Norwich and is part of Mile Cross Salvation Army Church, included Light Up in seasonal care kits for people who are homeless. Patricia shared: "It will be lovely to add a book of inspirational postcards to give hope.”
Patricia and her sister began distributing care kits to people experiencing homelessness and people visiting A&E following their dad’s experience in hospital during the Covid pandemic. He was deeply impacted by meeting a fellow patient who did not have a home to return to when the time came to leave the ward.
The care kits include a mixture of essentials, something nice to eat like chocolate, and something meaningful to keep hold of, like a book or pack of postcards. The bags are made by hand by Norfolk Knitter and Stitchers. Patricia worked with the Red Cross, and now Norfolk and Norwich Trust, as well as the homelessness charity, St. Martins, to ensure that the care packages reached those who needed them most.
Patricia first discovered Lifewords when she was given a Daily Strength booklet at a Salvation Army Church. Having found the booklet encouraging herself she was eager to share this with others. On one occasion, when visiting the local hospital, she spoke to a woman who was leaving A&E and appeared quite distressed. She felt prompted to give the woman a copy of Daily Strength and she responded with appreciation for the compassion she had been shown. Patricia said: “the look on her face captures it all, she just had such a big smile.”
Through including Lifewords’ Light Up postcards in the Christmas care kits, Patricia hoped to “share a small message of hope”, to provide “an extra little thing that will bring God into it all.”
As the Christmas celebrations draw to an end let us not lose sight of the hope at the heart of the Christmas story. God has made himself known to us through his Son. How can we continue to celebrate and point others to Jesus, the light that has dawned, over the coming days, weeks and months?
