First, does your church have an outreach ministry to the homeless? Maybe your entire family could commit one day a month to going to the park and handing out sandwiches and blankets or ladling out soup to those less fortunate. This is an especially meaningful way to spend Thanksgiving, and countless ministries in nearly every city welcome volunteers for such occasions.

Second, does your church sponsor or participate in a short-term mission project, such as going to another country (or a poverty-stricken area in our own country) to help build homes or offer medical or educational assistance? Though this is the type of ministry we often send our young people to do, how much more effective might it be if we went with them so our children could see us actively involved in giving ourselves away to others?

Third, are there hospitals or nursing homes in your community that would welcome regular visits from you and your children? This type of ministry not only blesses the patients and residents of these facilities, but those ministering often develop close and loving relationships with those patients and residents that equally bless all involved.

Fourth, how can we model beyond-me living right in our own homes? Do our children see us willingly and lovingly giving of ourselves to our spouse and the rest of the family? Do they view us as cheerful givers—or grumbling complainers? Ultimately, regardless of the words we speak to our children, the actions they see at home will have the deepest impact.

Finally, when they receive that diploma and move on to establish their own lives, why not give them a graduation present that will daily remind them of “beyond me” living in the midst of an “it’s about me” world? A meaningful gift of a ring or some other piece of jewelry, inscribed with the words “beyond me” and their graduation date, would be an appropriate, visible reminder that they have come to the place in their lives where daily they must choose to extend beyond themselves to serve God and others—a reminder of the “beyond me” home and family in which they grew up and learned to love and serve God.

Kathi Macias