This morning amounts the sea of papers and books that I call my workspace I discovered this small token from my angel….a beautiful fresh watermelon…just quietly sitting there, being totally unassuming, and my face lit up. What a delightful way to start the day. The little note made me smile – I love the Cambodian people.
This is the second time since arriving in Cambodia that I have joined the staff at New Life School in playing secret angel. During the week leading up to a big holiday (the last time we played it was at Khmer New Year) we try to sneakily give small gifts to a person who we have pulled out of a bucket in order to bless them. At Khmer New Year I received a loaf of bread….how much is that stereotyping the foreigner – haha. Well it made me laugh and I guess that is a good thing.
On the last day each person brings a gift and we try and guess who our angel is. It is a bit more difficult for Eileen and I as it is hard to give something and not give ourselves away. We have different ideas of what gifts are so it calls for us to think outside the box and more in a Khmer frame of mind. After gift sharing we have food together and enjoy each others company.
I love Christmas because I love giving gifts. It is the pure heart of generosity in practise. After all isn’t this what Christmas is all about? Not about just receiving gifts but giving and blessing others, just in the same way that Christ gave himself as the best Christmas gift.
