As 2021 draws to a close, lines from one of my daughter's favorite books, Through Your Eyes, epitomize how I’ve been feeling lately:

“…I wrote down a list,

Of all we would do,

Of what not to miss.”

Maybe I'm the only one, but I still catch myself saying, “Oh, 2020…” when bizarre or unfortunate things happen. And yet, I have to remind myself—it's not 2020. In fact, it’s barely even 2021 anymore. How did we get here? The last two years have been a bit of a blur.

However, the continuing refrain from Through Your Eyes serves as a reminder of how I hope to approach the rest of this year:

“To slow down, take small steps

Make each moment last.

The world is a blur

When you're spinning too fast."

Tis the Season

This Christmas season has felt a lot like that “blur” Earhardt describes. As 2022 comes hurtling towards me, I find myself scrambling for the basics of Christmas planning and prep. If I don't watch out, I could easily miss the best of the time from now until the end of December—the slow, quiet reflection and longing that is advent.

Similarly, I find it’s easy to miss Giving Tuesday among all the other, more commercial, holidays. But I hope, for two reasons, that we take some time to celebrate Giving Tuesday today.

1. Giving Tuesday is Good for Me.

Giving Tuesday is like the palate-cleanser holiday amongst a whirlwind of the other commercial holidays. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, I’m often tempted towards greed, over-indulgence, and impatience on these days. I'm focused on the deals I can find and what to stock up on for the year.

Even though we just celebrated Thanksgiving, I can easily get lost in my purchase planning. Much like Earhardt’s refrain, however, Giving Tuesday is that necessary reminder to slow down, make each purchase matter, and be thankful. It’s like an uncommon spiritual discipline to think about the world beyond my gift list and invest in worthy causes.

2. Giving Tuesday is Good for Us.

But if I said I started writing this article only because I love Giving Tuesday (which I do), that wouldn't be the whole truth. I work for UBA, which means I'm making an appeal for you to give to us, just like any other non-profit.

But my appeal is more than just obligatory. I truly believe in the work of the local association. Had you asked me what local Baptist associations do and why they matter four years ago, I confess I wouldn’t have had much to say.

Working for UBA, however, has shown me how vital the local association is. The local association is the first stop for connecting with other churches. It how we care for the larger Body of Christ and our community. It's an excellent way to advance the gospel with others by using our gifts and talents to help others experience the love of Christ. Plus, I’ve witnessed how our staff love to help our churches be healthy, gospel-centered places of worship and mission.

I'm sold on the whole “Better Together” thing because I've seen it fleshed out.

And associations survive on direct gifts from their churches. It's a little-known fact that local associations aren't part of the Baptist Cooperative Program structure. When the Cooperative Program was formed, associational leaders assumed the local association would be taken care of because it was such a big player in the life of a church. So, many churches may assume the local association is taken care of by their CP giving when that's not really the case.

Give & Give Thanks

"But when you took my hand

My list fluttered away

For the world through your eyes

Shines brand-new every day."

The end of Through Your Eyes stirs up more than just weepy mom tears for me. It reminds me that there are so many more important things to see this Christmas season—even more important things than the warm, fuzzy feelings of being together with those you love.

Christmas is about the ultimate gift that God gave to us. It’s a time to remember God’s faithfulness. It’s a celebration of God With Us. It’s a time to remember and long for a day when we will see Him again.

Giving Tuesday is a great way to invest in organizations that can spread that message of hope to the whole world. And UBA is certainly one of those organizations. Please, consider giving to help us remain Better Together.

Marie Burrus is UBA's Communications Specialist. She manages, edits, and contributes content for UBA's blog, website, and social media outlets. Marie uses her Master's degree in Intercultural Studies and experience as a missionary in West Africa to write on missions, outreach, culture, and the Christian life.

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[1] Earhardt, Ainsley. Through Your Eyes. Aladdin, 2017.