Filled With Blessings

Once a year, usually the first Wednesday in November, our church takes on the task of packing shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse.  Franklin Graham, son of the well known evangelist, Billy Graham, was the brains behind the idea, which began 25 years ago.  Our church joined the effort in 2001, packing a couple of dozen boxes.  Over the years we have gradually added to the number of boxes packed, and this year our total will be 9 dozen!

Included in the shoebox gifts are school supplies, (crayons, scissors, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, small tablets), hygiene items (washcloth, soap & plastic container, toothbrush & holder, combs), and many small toy items to bring joy to a child's heart.  This year's list includes a small stuffed animal, Nativity foam puzzle, 2 small color books, heart stamper, cross necklace, whistle, bouncy ball, plastic flute, matchbox car & small football for boys, and  jump rope &  hair accessory for girls.  For added pleasure, we include a few suckers, Smarties, and a pack of gum.

The best part about the shoebox gifts is the storybook which is added to each box at the distribution centers.  Written in the various languages around the world, the book tells the child about Jesus and His love for them.  Later, after the shoeboxes have been handed out, the communities sponsor classes similar to our Sunday Schools to teach the kids further.  Upon graduating from the program, they receive a Bible.

As I think about 25 years of these shoeboxes being distributed, I can't fathom the number of lives that have been touched.  I was able to find the following statistics:
  

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, the world's largest Christmas project of its kind, has collected and delivered more than 157 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

In 2018, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 11 million children. Nearly 11 million shoebox gifts were collected worldwide in 2017, with more than 8.8 million collected in the U.S.

Now, think about the fact many of the recipients have parents, grandparents, and other family members who also hear about God's love through the gift their child receives.  That's a whole lot of lives impacted!

As someone who has watched shoebox gifts being assembled over the years, my life has also been impacted.  It is a true representation of how little it takes to make a huge difference in the life of a child. 

If you would like to learn more about this wonderful outreach, you can check out their website at this link:   https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/