God so loved the world as to give … and give and give and give

What do a military challenge coin and a football game ball share in common?

And what do either of them have to do with Christmas?

Both the coin and the game ball have been meaningful symbols that have carried me through much of the fall and into Advent, giving me a deeper understanding of what a gift Christmas truly is to us who believe.

Sister Pat Linehan and the Challenge Coin

The first, the military challenge coin, was given to me by a relative of Sister Pat Linehan at the time of Pat’s funeral this past August.

During the funeral service, her nephew-in-law, Bobby Jacques, a retired Chief Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force (USAF), helped us honor Sister Pat, herself a retired Navy Captain, by accepting the American Flag.

Giving a folded American flag to a veteran’s family at a funeral is a profound symbol of gratitude and recognition of the deceased’s service, sacrifice, and dedication to our nation’s ideals.

After the funeral, this same nephew-in-law presented me with his challenge coin, an equally important sign of gratitude and recognition.

He gave it to me to honor the Sisters of Providence and our mission to be love, mercy, and justice in our world. As he explained to me the significance of a challenge coin, I was both humbled and overwhelmed.

These coins are traditionally reserved for service members to give to one another; giving one to a civilian carries a distinct meaning. Bobby let me know that he was honoring our exceptional service.

He offered it as a sign of respect and appreciation not only for his aunt but also for all of us who bear the name Providence.

I have turned that coin over in my hand countless times since receiving it, and as prescribed by military protocol, I need to find an appropriate way to display it. Sharing it here is a first step!

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) and a Pomeroy’s Game Ball

As for the game ball, that came to the Sisters of Providence before the senior game of the SMWC Sprint Football Team’s fall season.

I thought I was at the game to congratulate the seniors, and before I knew it, I was out on the field being awarded a football bearing the names of all the players and coaches.

SMWC President Brennan Randolph offered it to thank the Sisters of Providence for our support of the college and to honor the legacy of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, who set the excellent educational enterprise of SMWC into motion.

Here again, receiving a game ball signifies immense honor, recognizing an exceptional performance or crucial contribution to a team’s victory, serving as a tangible trophy of support. Once again, I was humbled and overwhelmed.

Since receiving it, I have not been turning the ball over in my hand as I have with the coin.

However, I did decide to put it in the hand of our Saint Mother and take a picture to remind me and all of us in the Providence Community on whose shoulders we stand and how much her legacy means to those with whom we share the charism of Providence.

Gifts that keep on giving

As the well-known marketing phrase goes, the coin and the game ball are gifts that WILL keep on giving. And doesn’t that have everything to do with Christmas? “Yes, God so loved the world as to give the Only Begotten One…” … and give and give and give.

We are recipients of the amazing love and abundant generosity of a Provident God. That we find ways — like a challenge coin and a football game ball — to express our gratitude when that love and generosity shows up in our lives is also a gift and enables us to keep giving and giving.

I am often humbled by the gifts we Sisters of Providence receive from so many friends; we have so many loyal benefactors.

I pray daily that we will always be deserving of the gifts we receive and that they will remind us to keep giving back the amazing love and abundant generosity of a Provident God in whatever ways we can as we seek to be God’s Providence in our world.

On the back of Bobby’s business card that accompanied his challenge coin is this quote from Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

May your life in the new year ahead be blessed with the giving and receiving of all good gifts.

Merry Christmas!