So here is my "shoe box story"...
We have done shoe box gifts before and think it is such a special outreach to children.
But when they showed an Operation Christmas Child video at one of our MOPS meetings, my heart was so moved. Maybe it is because I am so much more familiar with the plight of children around the world now that I am an adoptive Mami and it is so much closer to home. I sat at the table with my MOPS group watching this video overhead, quietly sobbing, having to look away as I dabbed the tears streaming down my face. Once I recovered, I decided yes I would do this again this year despite the abundance of other things on my plate.
I told Karl this story and showed him the three shoe boxes I brought home to fill. He was all for doing this.
Funny thing though, as a couple days passed by, and the pressures of life increased, I reasoned that it just was not a feasible activity for me this year....As a new Mami of three children, I have an awful lot going on, not to mention the barrage of holiday related demands coming up, there's only so much that one woman can do!
When I glanced & saw the Operation Christmas Child update letter on the kitchen table, I announced to Karl that I would not be doing the shoe boxes this year and told him all my reasoning stated above.
We have done shoe box gifts before and think it is such a special outreach to children.
But when they showed an Operation Christmas Child video at one of our MOPS meetings, my heart was so moved. Maybe it is because I am so much more familiar with the plight of children around the world now that I am an adoptive Mami and it is so much closer to home. I sat at the table with my MOPS group watching this video overhead, quietly sobbing, having to look away as I dabbed the tears streaming down my face. Once I recovered, I decided yes I would do this again this year despite the abundance of other things on my plate.
I told Karl this story and showed him the three shoe boxes I brought home to fill. He was all for doing this.
Funny thing though, as a couple days passed by, and the pressures of life increased, I reasoned that it just was not a feasible activity for me this year....As a new Mami of three children, I have an awful lot going on, not to mention the barrage of holiday related demands coming up, there's only so much that one woman can do!
When I glanced & saw the Operation Christmas Child update letter on the kitchen table, I announced to Karl that I would not be doing the shoe boxes this year and told him all my reasoning stated above.
The letter had happy Indian children joyfully carrying their shoe boxes. Inside though, was a quotation that gripped my heart...
From Colombia: A boy named Cesar wrote, "I just want to thank you for the box and also for the Bible lessons that you sent to me. I was needing these things. Now I have Jesus in my heart."
That got my attention! I ran to show Karl this quote from the Colombian boy. I knew I needed to squeeze this into my schedule and now we are doing four boxes instead of the original three we planned on!
1 comment:
I'm glad you got to do your shoeboxes. Last year I was so much better because I let all three kids go to the store to pick out their things (we did the boxes through MOPS). This year, however, the boys did them for pre-school and I just shopped while they were at school! I think it is a great learning experience for the kids, though (either way) . . . we talk about the kids receiving the boxes and how kind it is to share God's love and blessings and be thoughtful of others . . . all around the world!
Glad to hear you are all doing so well!!
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