“Our Father’s Blessings…A Christmas Store”

   A very special community event was held in the large fellowship hall at Grand Avenue United Methodist Church last Saturday afternoon. It was the opening of the first “Our Father’s Blessings...A Christmas Store” held in Porterville. During the afternoon, people who were sponsored by their church or by an individual came and shopped for Christmas presents for their children.

   “Our Father’s Blessings” is an extension of a non-profit group based out of Florida called “Share All Our Blessings.”  The founder of that organization, formerly a member of Grand Avenue Methodist church, helped to secure a grant to purchase toys and bikes for the Christmas store.

     The director of the event, Julie Musson, began making plans last summer. Coworkers, friends and several members of her family formed the team of volunteers.  By November, the list of families who were being sponsored was rapidly growing. It became imperative to find the right place to hold the store. When the facility at Grand Avenue became available, arrangements were quickly made and approved.

   After the sponsorship papers had all been received, enough gifts needed to be purchased for 140 kids. Since parents would be allowed to buy 3 gifts per child, some of the volunteers truly shopped till they dropped! Over 400 toys and 10 bikes were collected, all made possible by the grant money and donations from several interested people in the community.

   One woman contacted the group after seeing a poster in the Springville Post Office. She had three young children at home and wanted to help out by donating several brand new things she had bought for her family over the years but had ended up storing them in a closet. Her generosity was one of many unexpected blessings which God provided.

    On the morning of the event, the church parking lot began to fill up with cars. First came the volunteers who set up tables, organized and priced the toys at reduced rates, put out refreshments, prepared the gift-wrapping station and made the coffee. Then, people began showing up…some two hours early. Tickets were handed out in the order that they arrived; and after an opening prayer they were admitted into the store, three at a time along with ‘personal shoppers’ to provide assistance. Everyone was excited!

     Gratitude and joy were expressed by the folks who came to shop for their families. A single parent, father of four boys, was beaming as he waited in line to have his gifts wrapped—two   big bags of toys and a boy’s bike. He shared that three of his four sons had brand new bikes already. The dad was overjoyed when he discovered that there was one bicycle left. He said, “That was all he (the fourth boy) wanted for Christmas!”

    By the end of the afternoon, over fifty people had shopped. Thirty-six Bibles, one gift food card per family and lots of hugs were given out. All of the money generated by the store was used to purchase more food gift cards; and toys which had not been sold were going to several churches in Springville the following week. Some of the participants were so moved that they donated the change from their purchases back to the Christmas Store. It was a very touching and joyful occasion. God was smiling! 

   Praise the Lord for all of the people who contributed towards making the day a success and for those who had a big vision for our community. One man admitted to his personal shopper that he really didn’t know Jesus Christ, but that “he has sure blessed me today!” When asked if he would like a Bible, he said “Sure!” And that’s what it was all about!

“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” John 1:16 NIV