The very word "Christmas" either brings a smile to our faces or stabs our hearts with a sword.

It is both the best time and the worst time of the year.

If we are fortunate enough to spend Christmas with family, friends, loved ones, then it is the happiest time of the year. If we are alone, it is the worst time of the year.

My children live thousands of miles away. Sadly, most of my close friends have died.

I was facing another Christmas alone. I spent last Christmas alone and promised myself that would never happen again . . . but it was going to happen again unless I did something to prevent it.

A lot of homeless people are in the area, and people have set up several places where they can get a free, hot meal. These places used to be called "soup kitchens," but now they are called "free meal centers." At Christmas I figured they must be overloaded with homeless, hungry people, and I decided to offer my help cooking or serving food.

I called several places and each one told me they were overloaded with volunteers for the holidays. They said they had more than two "volunteers" for each person coming in for a free meal. There was a waiting list to be a volunteer at the "free meal centers."

I was glad no one needed to go hungry or be alone at Christmas, and I had to smile at the idea of people lined up to volunteer.

My next idea was to bring some cheer to people in retirement homes or nursing homes.

I could visit these elderly people and listen to them, visit with them, perhaps read to them or do whatever I could to cheer them up for the holidays.

There was a problem. Apparently, they don't allow just anybody to come into a nursing home. You have to have a friend or relative living in the home. You have to register ahead of time and have a photo ID, and you have to have the name of the person you want to visit.

The lady on the phone informed me that they were overloaded with church choirs who wanted to come to the home and sing Christmas carols to the residents. She said she'd just turned down a Boy Scout group and a Girl Scout group and two churches that wanted to come and sing carols to the "old people."

I tried to think of other places that might need help over the holidays. When I went to the library to return some books, I asked the librarian if they ever needed help putting returned books back on the shelves.

She asked if I had a degree in library science. My answer was "No, I just thought you might need some help at the library putting books back on shelves."

She said they didn't need any help, and they only hired people who had a degree in library science.

I don't know what library science is, but apparently you need to have a degree to put books on a shelf.

There were more volunteers than there were jobs. When I wasn't looking, the whole world had changed.

Dense woods surround the area where I live, and holly and ivy and evergreens grow wild. The holly is especially beautiful with it's red berries.

I decided I would go into the woods and cut ivy and holly and branches of evergreens and make small sprays and wreaths. I already had some red velvet ribbon that would be perfect to use on the arrangements.

I carefully and happily made three small wreaths and three small sprays that could hang on someone's door. I walked to the corner of my block where people had to stop at a stop sign, and I put up a small sign that said, "Free Holiday Decorations."

People looked at me as I held up the wreaths and sprays . . . but they shook their heads "no" and drove away.

I'd smile and wave and point at the sign that said, "Free," but no one rolled down their window or pulled over.

I tried for an hour, and then I gave up and carried my sign and my wreathes and sprays home. I kept a wreath for myself, and I lined up the rest of the wreaths and sprays on the lawn.

Later I looked out my window to see if anyone had taken any of the Christmas decorations. I saw the janitor pick up the remaining sprays and wreaths and the sign, and he tossed them into the dumpster with the trash.

I won't be alone at Christmas. My children always call me at Christmas.

Look for your own ways to encourage others and celebrate the season. If Plan A for Christmas ministry doesn't work out, keep finding a way to serve and help others. Remember Christmas isn't an easy season for others. Look for those who need you to speak hope in their lives. And don't be too proud or busy to accept the little ministrations from others. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Pixabay/OlgaVolkovitskaia

Crying Wind is the author of Crying Wind, My Searching Heart, When the Stars Danced, Thunder in Our Hearts, Lightning in Our Veins, and Stars in the Desert. See the order form on p. 18.