It's the most
wonderful time of the year! The weather is dropping (or so I read on Facebook),
peppermint white chocolate mocha’s are being purchased from Starbucks, the
malls are crowded, and everyone is beginning to think about what they want for
Christmas. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the holiday
season individuals are thinking about others.
Organizations
abound which seek to provide an outlet for individuals to donate their time,
talent, and treasures during the holiday season. One organization which is very
popular is Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is an extension
of Samaritans Purse which seeks to show God's love to children through a simple
Christmas present. Churches, organizations, and thousands of individuals will
fill a Christmas box this season. Julia and I live and work in Sub-Saharan
Africa. We interact with children everyday or could receive a shoe box.
I started writing
this post to encourage/persuade you not to fill an Operation
Christmas Box this year. I have since deleted, stared at, and contemplated the
best way to make my case. After much contemplation I have come to the
realization that Operation Shoe boxes are a practical, fun way for families to
provide for the less fortunate this holiday season. There are individuals who
fill their shoe boxes with useless garbage which doesn't help anyone, however,
just because a few people don’t know how to fill a shoe box doesn't mean we have
to throw the baby out with the bath water.
Below are a few
suggestions to follow when filling your shoe box:
·
Please
do not fill a box with toys. While your child in America
·
Focus
on filling your shoe box with school supplies and hygiene items. I realize
school supplies and hygiene items aren't very glamorous, however, they are
actually needed and wanted. Combs, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc will go a
long ways in helping to provide for a family. Children at least in Northern Ghana love blue and red Bic pens.
·
Involve
your children. Take your children along with you as you fill a box. Teach them
about the importance of giving. Operation Christmas Child is a great way to
teach your child about the Nations. Help them to realize that the world is
bigger than their school, neighborhood, city, state and nation.
·
Fill
your shoe box with a new shirt, hat (no Duke hats), and a pair of sunglasses.
Remember most places overseas are closer to the equator and most children do
not have adequate protection from the sun. Most children own their school
uniform and one other shirt, an extra shirt even just a plain colored one will
make a child’s day.
·
Write
a note and provide a picture of your family in your shoe box. Most children who
receive a shoe box have had very little interaction with white people. A
note/picture will go a long way in making a child’s Christmas. Include in your
note a prayer of blessing for the child and his/her family.
·
Follow
the instructions when filling your shoe box. Instructions can be found on Samaritans purses's web site (How to fill your box). Do not think you know better than Samaritans Purse. They have been
filling shoe boxes for a long time and have it down to a science; a lot of
headache can be avoided if you follow their instructions.
·
Pray
over your shoe box. Pray when filling your shoe box. Pray before going shopping
for your shoe box. Pray while shopping for your shoe box. Pray when mailing your
shoe box. Pray over your box.
·
Operation
Christmas Child is a great way to open your eyes to the Nations and others who
are less fortunate. Do not stop with only filling a shoe box. Consider
purchasing a goat, mosquito nets, etc to help serve a family or a community
this year. Here is a link to a site which will help you better impact others
this Christmas (Baptist Global Response)
In conclusion,
Operation Christmas Child is impacting lives for eternity. Is it perfect? No.
What is? There are abuses; however, if we are wise in how we fill our shoe boxes
we may eliminate the problems and better impact the Nations.
Best of luck this
year as you fill your box!
This is tough because these organizations, including, Operation Christmas Child give direction on how to fill the boxes. These include "a toy for a girl, a toy for a boy", etc. They also instruct for the boxes to be wrapped a certain way so that they can open them up easily and redistribute items at their central warehouse.
ReplyDeleteSo even if we did fill a box with toothpaste and deodorant, in the end it will have some of the items removed and some toys placed in it.
Of course, the other option is to simply avoid these things altogether (which is what you were almost going to write about) and simply give in other ways to avoid this quandary.