Wrapping Gifts, Sharing Joy
by Cameron Bonsell
The Virginia Home (TVH) is a private, non-profit community that has provided compassionate care to adult Virginians with irreversible physical disabilities for over 130 years, regardless of ability to pay. As one of Redeemer Anglican’s Justice and Mercy partners, TVH offers parishioners opportunities to serve through regular visits and group events that typically occur every other month
One such event is the annual TVH | Redeemer wrapping event. Many residents at TVH have presents and holiday cards they want to give to friends and family. Because of their physical limitations, most cannot complete these activities without assistance. This creates an added burden for the staff, who often wrap all the residents’ gifts and write out their cards. Our wrapping event gives Redeemer parishioners of all ages and life stages the chance to serve both residents and staff by coming alongside them to wrap gifts and write cards.
This year, two observations stood out to me. First, was the beauty of the intergenerational nature of the work of Christ. At this event, the full spectrum of age and life stages was represented, and the different functions within the body of Christ were on display. Young children helped parents with wrapping and other tasks, while older adults had deeper conversations with residents. Everyone offered their unique gifts to serve folks at TVH.
Secondly, I observed the joy that can be found when we step out of our comfort zone for the sake of Christ. The wrapping event is fun for all involved, but some aspects can be outside of one’s comfort zone. For example, some residents may try to communicate but are non-verbal, or they may be verbal but not easily understood. This often requires asking residents to repeat themselves multiple times, which can feel awkward. Yet these moments create connection and joy where there might otherwise be none. This event is an approachable way for our parishioners to embody the love of Christ and bring His joy to those in need, in the process, discovering that joy for themselves that they might not have found otherwise.
Cameron Bonsell serves as the liaison from Redeemer Anglican Church to the Virginia Home.
