Greetings from the SoupMan!
In 1934, songwriter Felix Bernard wrote one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. It was titled ‘Winter Wonderland’ and in the decades since, more than 150 different artists have recorded the song. It’s a song of fun, laughter, joy, and a celebration of winter.
And for some of us winter is indeed a time of merriment and good cheer. And why shouldn't it be? We live in nice homes or apartments, drive decent cars, have family and friends, and even if it gets a little cold outside we have the luxury of heat in our homes, cars, and offices. Ah yes, for most of us it’s truly a Winter Wonderland. But there's the rub----'For most of us'.
It seems a few people have fallen through the cracks. Actually, more than a few! In the Dallas area there are more than 10,000 homeless people. The lucky ones get to stay in shelters. However, there are thousands that are not so lucky. They spend their days on the streets and their nights sleeping in cardboard boxes, behind dumpsters, in abandoned buildings, and in the woods. For them it’s not a Winter Wonderland. It’s really more of a Winter Nightmare.
Oh you might be thinking that's too strong a statement---Winter Nightmare! But let’s look at it from the perspective of a homeless person. It’s the first week of December in Dallas and temperatures are hovering close to freezing. Making matters worse is that it’s been raining. Cold weather plus freezing rain is not just a little uncomfortable for a homeless person---it’s life threatening. Just imagine that tonight you go outside and stand in your backyard and get soaked in the freezing rain. Then imagine crawling in a cardboard box and trying to get dry and warm. Then imagine waking up in the freezing dawn with stiff limbs and damp clothes and no prospects for it getting any better. Then imagine doing it all winter.Winter Wonderland for the homeless? I don't think so. Christmas is fast approaching. And while our nation has gone thru some tough economic times the last couple of years, most of us are doing okay. Maybe not great for everyone, but for most we are doing okay. What are your plans for Christmas? Are you giving or receiving? If you are going to be experiencing a fun Winter Wonderland, might you consider helping others?
In a Christmas event called CELEBRATE JESUS, the SoupMobile is taking 500 homeless right off the streets this Christmas and putting them up at the downtown Dallas Hyatt Regency Hotel. They will all get new clothes, fabulous gifts, lots of love, and we will throw a huge banquet for them and in their honor. Most important is that when the wake up on Christmas morning it will be in a warm safe bed at the Hyatt---NOT in a cardboard box under a bridge. Would you like a piece of this action??? Maybe you would like to volunteer with us at the Hyatt? Maybe you can't volunteer but would like to donate for the event? Can you do something to help? Most people can. It doesn't have to be a Million Dollars---but it could be. Maybe its $5. Only you know best how much of your Winter Wonderland you can share.
By the way, we practice what we preach. My wife Shana, a.k.a. The SoupGirl, and I make a pact every Christmas. We do NOT buy each other gifts. We take the money we would have spent and donate for the homeless at Christmas. We don't have a million to share but it’s more than $5. We are sharing of our Winter Wonderland. Won't you give prayerful consideration to doing the same? For more details on how you can volunteer or help financially, go to www.soupmobile.org and click on CELEBRATE JESUS.
May the Lord Bless & Keep You All.
Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. The SoupMan
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