JIM DE BOOM -- Community & clubs

This is the first time my column has appeared on Christmas morning, and I

am worried the holiday excitement might mean few will take the time to

read the Daily Pilot today, except to read about the great

after-Christmas Day sales.

But here goes. As a family, we would attend Christmas Eve services at St.

Andrews Presbyterian Church. The Christmas tree would be giftless until

after our daughters, Stacy and Jodi, went to sleep. Then Barbara and I

would hustle the gifts out of our closets.

Christmas morning was always exciting. The girls would wake up early and

yell down the hall to see if we were awake and if it was OK for them to

come out of their rooms. Outside their bedroom door, they would find

their Christmas stockings. They would open those wrapped items while I

went to the living room to light the fire in the fireplace and Barbara

put on the pot of coffee.

With my Santa hat on, I would pass out the gifts, one at a time, to be

opened. Later in the morning, our neighbor Hank Weber would place

“Santa’s gifts” outside the front door, knock on the door and then run

back to his home. Santa usually brought one or two gifts for Stacy and

Jodi.

Christmas Day dinner usually brought 25 to 28 family members, friends and

strangers together for the traditional turkey dinner. If we knew of

someone who didn’t have family readily available for the holiday, they

were invited to share in ours. My Christmas dinner prayer always

acknowledged that those gathered were from different religions, different

parts of America, with different life experiences, all with hope in our

hearts for a better life, community and world for all.

Those traditions continue today. We will celebrate Christmas in Rancho

Mirage with Stacy, Jodi and some 20 family members, friends and

strangers.

OPEN THE EXTRA GIFT: As many of us open gifts this Christmas

morning and in one way or another honor the birth of Christ, I am

reminded of a story I heard a couple of years ago that went something

like this:

An idealistic young college graduate became frustrated with all that was

going on in the world. It seemed year after year there were floods,

fires, earthquakes, racial strife, religious conflicts, AIDS, cancer,

street violence, homelessness and hunger around the world. Sounds like

today doesn’t it?

The man had grown up in a religious family, attended church on a regular

basis, eventually married, started a family and became a leader in his

profession. He prayed at church for the less fortunate, made his donation

to the United Way when called upon, and supported his children in their

school activities. Yet the problems of the world continued. He prayed

harder.

As the problems kept coming, he turned his frustration toward the sky and

yelled to God, “Why don’t you do something about hunger, homelessness,

crime, the violence on our streets and AIDS?” There was no response from

God. Getting angry, the man yelled again, “God, why don’t you do

something about all the problems people and the world face?”

After a few moments, God responded by saying, “I did; I gave the world

you!”

This Christmas Day, unwrap God’s gift, you, to reach beyond your family

and their interests, to help solve the real-life issues in our community

and in our world. Isn’t that what the person whose birth we celebrate

today did?

WORTH REPEATING: From the newsletter of the Newport Beach-Corona

del Mar Kiwanis Club, the Scuttlebutt: “(For use with Christmas presents)

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.”

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS COMING WEEK: Want to get more involved

in your community, make new friends, network or give something back to

your community? Try a service club! You are invited to attend a club

meeting this week. Many clubs will buy your first guest meal for you.

TUESDAY: The Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets at the Balboa Bay

Club at 7:30 a.m.

WEDNESDAY: The South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet at the Center Club

at 7:30 a.m. The Newport Balboa Rotary meets at Bahia Corinthian Yacht

Club for a craft talk at 6 p.m.

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published every Saturday in the Daily Pilot. Send

your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949) 660-8667, e-mail

to o7 jdeboom@aol.comf7 or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol, Suite 201,

Newport Beach 92660-1740.