love in a shoe box

It's that time of year again! Time to fill shoe boxes  for the Operation Christmas Child project sponsored by Samaritan's Purse. Our family has been filling boxes every year since the project started in 1993. It has always been one of my favorite things to do. 

My children and I would take our list and go shopping. After deciding whether our box/boxes would be for a boy or a girl and the age, we would carefully pick out as many treasures as we could so the box would be as full as we could get it! Then, when we got home, we would pack and repack that box until we made room for each item. Before turning it in at church, we would pray and ask God to bless the child that received it and that they would come to know Him.

Now that my children are all married, I do my shopping alone...but it is still a special time for me. I love the gathering of gifts and packing the box. I smile when I think of the joy on the face of the child who will receive this little box that, not only contains things they will love, but is filled with the love of their Heavenly Father. I pray that when they open it, they will feel His love and be drawn to Him.

When the boxes are delivered to children all over the world who would otherwise receive no Christmas gift, they are also told the story of God's greatest gift, Jesus. Millions of boxes have been distributed in the past 28 years. They are hoping to deliver the 100 millionth box this year!

In case you don't know, Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham, started the Samaritan's Purse ministry 40 years ago. They do relief and development projects and medical missions all over the world and here in the U.S. When a tornado hit my hometown here in Georgia about 5 years ago, Samaritan's Purse was there to offer aid.

I am grateful for ministries that operate with integrity. I can give knowing that my gifts will be used to help those in need and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that is a good thing!!