Christmas Shoeboxes

For me, it's way to early to be thinking of Christmas. I like to wait for the last minute. It's not actually that I like to wait, I just get busy, and next thing I know, it's the last minute.

I know that the stores have been stocking their shelves with reminders that Christmas is coming since Halloween, but I can ignore blatant commercialism.

The real reminder for me that Christmas is coming came from Samaritan's Purse, and the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox program. The Shoebox program collects shoe boxes filled with small gift items, that then get distributed to very needy people, mostly in third world countries. Some will also go to victims of natural disasters or other needs. It's an awesome program, because it introduces children who have never heard of Christmas to Jesus, the reason for Christmas. Salvation tracks are included in the native language of the people that receive them, and missionaries distribute the boxes and explain the tracts. I have read story after story of people who came to know the Lord from a shoe box. It's a remarkable ministry!

Our church is involved in this program, both in the giving of shoe boxes, and as a regional drop-off location. Last week was the collection week. Yesterday (Monday), we delivered six hundred and six shoe boxes in fifty-one cartons to the collection center, and placed them in a semi-truck trailer. As I write this morning, those boxes are one their way to Samaritan's Purse in Charlotte, NC, where they will be checked and sorted, and soon on their way to bring Christmas to a little boy or girl.

If you helped with the shoe boxes this year - THANK YOU! You are making a difference!

If not, please consider helping next year. We have so much, so we can help so many...