Eleven-year-old Brenden Foster was diagnosed with leukemia last December. When the boy was told he had only two weeks left to live, he decided to spend his last days helping others. On his way home from one of his doctor's appointments, he saw some homeless people and felt compelled to do something about it. Brenden inspired people in his hometown of Seattle and around the country to hold food drives. He died on Nov. 21.

This week marked the start of the holiday season and for many of us, a time of guiltless excess. Our holiday dinner tables are covered with lavish spreads that seemingly obligate us to eat beyond the point of reason.

We spend inordinate amounts of money buying gifts for friends and family members. Some expend their savings or overextend their credit, their impulses fueled by the age-old cliché that Brenden uttered in one of his final TV interviews, "?'Tis the season for giving."

But Brenden saw different meaning in that phrase. Gifting a loved one is effortless; a more arduous task is sacrificing for a complete stranger.

This boy's story is inspiring for many reasons, but most touching was his ability to show compassion in his time of great need. His circumstance was grave, but he chose not to wallow in self-pity, realizing that while his life was nearing an end, he had food, clothes and a roof over his head. He reminds us that each one of us has something to give.

The Utah Food Bank reports that it does not have enough food to meet its demand this holiday season. The number of people needing assistance has increased dramatically while donations have remained steady. On Monday, Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. urged Utahns to consider making donations to homeless shelters and food banks this holiday season, noting that "we're only as good as the most vulnerable citizens."

The economy has affected us all. Several people are just one paycheck away from financial disaster and homelessness. Those of us fortunate enough to still have a source of income and a roof over our heads should be grateful. It is the season for giving, but perhaps this season Brenden's memory will inspire us to look beyond giving just to those we love to also seek out strangers in dire straits. We may not have everything we want, but undoubtedly we have something someone else needs.

Brenden's mother recalls him saying to her one day, "When I get to heaven, I'm going to ask God why it had to be so soon, because I had so much more I wanted to do."

Corey J. Hodges is pastor of New Pilgrim Baptist Church in Taylorsville. Reach him at coreyjhodges@comcast.net.