If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it one thousand times: I have the greatest readers on the planet. You all are always so kind, so thoughtful, and so courteous. You make this space what it is. You build this community with your hearts. I could never thank you enough for that.

As the Christmas season approaches, and as we stand knee-deep in Advent, preparing our hearts for the coming of our Savior, many of us look for extra ways that we can give of ourselves. We participate in coat drives, food drives, we visit homeless shelters on Christmas morning, and we give gifts to those children who may not otherwise receive them. The Lord’s people are wild, they give wildly, they serve wildly, and they love wildly.

You, dear reader, are one of those generous hearts.

And if I may, I have a humble request for you.

Think of it as an invitation to wild generosity.

Some of you may have heard of the Harkins family and the tragedy they suffered this past summer. Sarah Harkins passed away suddenly following wasp stings. She was the mother of four young children, and was 21 weeks pregnant with her fifth child, Cecelia, who also passed away. Her husband, Eric, wrote this lovely article about the gift Sarah is in his life, and his love for her is so evident and overwhelming that my heart literally aches from the beauty of it.

I wrote this post after hearing news of this heartache, and the quote I shared there continues to be what consoles me for this sweet family. After Sarah passed away, people in the worldwide community rallied together to donate money to the family to help them cover hospital bills and funeral costs. The love that was poured out to this family in need, by total strangers, is what gives me hope that this world is still so, so good.

Holidays are typically the hardest times for those who have lost family members, and for the Harkins family, this will be their first Christmas without their wife and mom. You can imagine how difficult this time of year might be for them. They need the support of community.

Here’s where you come in.

A few of Sarah’s friends have put together a Christmas card drive for the Harkins family. They are asking anyone and everyone to consider sending the Harkins family a Christmas card this year with some sort of encouragement, prayer, or story of how their situation has inspired others.

Let’s lift some spirits, eh? If you have a stack of Christmas cards waiting to be addressed to your loved ones, would you please think about sending one to the Harkins family? Think about the happy faces of those kiddos as they look at your kids and learn about our family. Everyone loves getting mail, and I think the Harkins kids deserve to open stacks of mail full of love each day this Christmas season, don’t you?

In order to protect their privacy, I won’t be posting their address here. So if you’d like to send the Harkins family a Christmas card, please leave a comment below (or just email me!) letting me know and I will send you their address.

Again, you all have such loving hearts, and I’m grateful that you allow me to take a moment to use this space, which is all for you, to ask for prayers and support for a family who truly needs both. Thank you.