“If you can’t be an athlete, be an athletic supporter” Principal McGee, Grease.
I’ve always thought the same when it comes to missions. We can’t all be missionaries, but we can support them. We can’t all give monthly support to missionaries, but there are many other ways to support people in the mission field. Today I want to swing the spotlight to a program that I simply love with the mission focus: Operation Christmas Child.
In Emily P. Freeman’s new book, “Simply Tuesday,” she talks about finding heaven one inch above the ground. Simple days like Tuesday and the small moments in our lives like loading the dishwasher feels insignificant and unimportant. Yet God is present in those days and moments. He promises that He is always with us. The Holy Spirit is our constant companion. When we find heaven an inch above the ground, we find God in the simplest of days and smallest of moments.
Operation Christmas Child, though a huge program that impacts millions of lives, feels like heaven an inch above the ground. It is the simplest act to buy 50-cent crayons at Target during Back-to-School sales or 1-dollar toys at the Dollar Tree any day of the year. It is so easy to fill up one shoebox and drop it off at a collection center near me. But that one simple and small shoebox will end up in the hands of a child who needs to experience the love of God in a tangible way and hear about the Gospel too.
Operation Christmas Child places a book of the Gospel in every shoebox so every child will have the chance to learn about Jesus. Participating in Operation Christmas is an easy way to support the missionaries who go and hand out the shoeboxes. It is an easy way to help the missionaries who stay and lead children through the Operation Christmas Child discipleship program. A huge impact through small actions.
You can learn more about Operation Christmas Child, and if you decide to join this year, would you let me know so I can cheer you on? With many school supplies on clearance and sale, it’s the perfect time to stock up on crayons, pencils, and small notebooks you can place inside a shoebox.
Other items you can pack are: toothbrush and toothpaste, bar of soap, anti-bacterial wipes, toy cars, stuffed animals, brushes and combs, hair ties, hard candy, flashlights with batteries, clothing, bandannas, little musical instruments like harmonicas or kazoos, etc.
Items that should not go inside shoeboxes include: war-themed toys, medicine, and liquids (hand sanitizer, shampoo, body wash, etc).
To win “Simply Tuesday” by Emily P. Freeman, enter below.
Linking up with Monday’s Musings and Sharing His Beauty.
I love Operation Christmas Child. It is a wonderfully fun way to bless a child during the holiday season! Thanks for getting this ministry information out to more people. It is awesome when churches or organizations work together for these types of missionary causes. Blessings to you!
Thank you for visiting! I love hearing from people who also love Operation Christmas Child. I once heard from a woman who received a shoebox as a child and as she grew up, God just moved in her life and she now works with OCC to encourage people to help out. It just touches my heart that something so small can make such a huge difference!