It is pretty easy to do. Grab a shoebox and fill with with a bunch of stuff for a little person to receive on Christmas morning.It is easy and so incredibly rewarding.
I'm not sure why but this year it felt REAL. The girls and I pictured the little girl who will someday soon hold this box in her hands and open it. We pictured her face, where she lives and the reality of her situation.
It is so easy to forget them. The kids and people all over the world who have NOTHING. It is easy because they are invisible to us. We choose not to think about it. But it is real. It is so real that is is painful to think about.
I told the girls that we were not going to go to the dollar store to find the cheapest stuff to fill the boxes with. Instead we filled it as though we were receiving it ourselves.
We placed our hands on the box and prayed for the little girl receiving the box.
The box became more than just a shoebox. It became a practical way for the girls to help another little girl.
I encourage everyone reading this to reach out to SOMEONE in need this Christmas. It does not have to be with a shoebox through Samaritans Purse. It can also be through World Vision, or Compassion, or to the street kids of the Ukraine through WORLD HOPE. Your donation could make a world of difference to someone out there. It would make a world a difference in your heart. Just as you are real....so are these kids.
Too far away? You can always contact your local Salvation Army and sponsor a family in your own town, donate to Youth for Christ, give to your local soup kitchen or food bank. You could even help out someone you personally know and make a difference in our world.
It is so easy but it takes us to step outside of ourselves for a moment. It only takes a moment but will last forever in your heart.
"So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all...It is dead and useless". James 2:17 NLT
"You see, we cannot earn our salvation by serving and obeying God. But such actions show that our commitment to God is real. Deeds of loving service are not a substitute for, but rather a verification of, our faith in Christ. "NLT
2 comments:
We are doing this too! Cameron's class is participating. We did it last year too.
Thanks so much for posting this! Our church does the shoeboxes too. And this year they are sending all kinds of mens socks and plastic bags to Haiti. Such small things for us to do when we live in a land of such excess. When my son was having a little tantrum over some toy he didn't get for his birthday, I actually made him watch an episode of World Vision. He couldn't believe that other children live with literally nothing. This year he already did his bag of toy donations for the Toy Drive.
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