The Next Few Months
by Tim Parkinson

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It seems strange to mention Christmas in October, but already shops and cities are putting up lights, and getting items on shelves to encourage us all to depart with our well earned income.

However at Caring For Life it is at this time of year that those we care for give a sharp reminder of how sad many people will be. Sad for many reasons, sad, because they are not with their own families due to rejection, abuse and neglect. Sad, knowing that many people with lots of new presents will be opened on Christmas morning, whilst all they have to look forward to is loneliness in a empty, bare, dark and cold room. And sad because nobody will know they are alive.

Thankfully for those whom we care for at Caring For Life, that will not be the same story. We will provide every person we care for with something to open on Christmas morning, a card to let them know that we are there, and for many who are able, a place to go for Christmas Day to spend time with people having fun and a great big Christmas dinner.

But as this time of year draws near, it is a very busy one, especially for our Housing Support team. They will be starting to prepare for all the visits and food parcel deliveries from the harvest we are still receiving and will soon be inundated with calls from people who are in desperate situations, just wanting to know that there is someone there who cares.

Although Christmas is a couple of months off, please remember those we care for who as these darker nights draw in, will even now start to feel the sting of loneliness and separation from their family. Please do pray for Caring For Life as we strive to provide a new family to belong to for these very vulnerable people.

Pray especially that we will be given opportunities to tell people of the wonderful message of Christmas, and that people will come to have a deeper understanding of Jesus, the Son of God, coming to this earth to live for a while as a man.

We have an awesome task ahead of us at Caring For Life, with people who are on the edge, with many people we care for who would rather end this life, rather than live it, and feel it more than ever in the winter months. Pray that we will be granted wisdom, strength and understanding in all that we do with these wonderful people.