Bringing Hope

At church on Sunday the sermon focus was on bringing hope to the world.  My Chet struggles with this.  Actually with almost any emotion, but I have noticed that the dark intense emotions can easily overwhelm him.  Processing, acnowledging and understanding emotions is nigh onto impossible for many Aspergers people.  Chet is very typical (in an NT way) of that.  He would rather not talk about emotions. He would rather they do not exist.  Rather not try to figure them out because they don't make sense.  Yet the reality is all people HAVE emotions. Even Chet of course.  I also suspect that all people pretty much want to believe that the world has hope and inherant goodness within it.  But someone like Chet will glom onto the fact that the news has story after story of sadness and negativity as proof that this does not exist.

So it was a timely sermon for him.  I asked what he thought he could do to bring hope to the world.  He said we all ready do that with our food pantry contributions. I agreed that this was one way we do bring hope.  But our church also was participating in a "shoebox project" this year.  You basically choose a child of a pre-determined sex and age and fill a shoebox with Christmas gifts for them.  This year the boxes are going to a co-op in Maine that helps the severely impoverished of that state. 

Chet and I were going out to do some of his holiday shopping (getting things done early is a fixation of his and he had 3 people left to buy for and it was causing unbelievable anxiety for him.) I suggested that after we get his last Yule gifts that he help me buy for the shoebox project.  Together we picked out a variety of craft supplies, small toys, and a warm hat for a nine year old boy.  After we bought all our stuff (it is amazing what you can fit in a shoebox with creative packing!) we realized we had NO shoeboxes at our house!  LOL  So we went to the shoe store next door and I had him ask for a box.  Chet being Chet walked up and said "Do you have a shoebox?"  LOL  I cued him on giving some details of why he needed an empty shoe box and he did well clarifying things.  We left with a box and jammed that baby full of cheer and hope for a boy who might not otherwise have a happy holiday.  And a smile on Chet's face. That always gives me hope.