From the Storm to the Storm

I came across some verses in Proverbs 11 that give us insight about the importance of possessing
a spirit of giving:
23 The desire of the righteous is only good, But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.
25 The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself.

In these three verses, we gain insight into the how that spirit of giving operates.  In verse 23, we find a reference to the "desire of the righteous;" we have to make sure that our motives are pure and honorable.  There's also an element of selfishness vs. self-lessness and the consequences of both. A selfish heart will lead to poverty; a selfless heart leads to abundance - and, while we do recognize there is a material principle of sowing and reaping, we acknowledge that God wants us to be rich in spirit - living in accordance with His principles.

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In what you might call a "farewell address" to the elders of Ephesus, Paul summoned them to
Miletus, as we see in Acts 20, and he said this about possessing a charitable attitude:
34 Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.
35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

In late September of this year, Grace Baptist Church in Wild Peach, Texas had a special event scheduled - a "packing party" for Operation Christmas Child.  But, just a month before it, Hurricane Harvey had brought devastation to the community, dumping up to 50 inches of rain in Southeast Texas.

This is according to the Samaritan's Purse website, which reports that the home of Pastor Mark Brumbelow and his wife, Cherry, was flooded, along with the homes of other church family members.  But, they decided, in the midst of their trial, to reach out to needy children and the party went on as planned.

The 30 members of the church set out to pack 1,000 boxes that day - the article says that, "Over the past four years, members of Grace Baptist have packed more than 16,100 gift boxes—including the 1,000 on Sept. 23.

Two weeks later, the Brumbelows were informed that some of those boxes would be going to Barbuda, a tiny Caribbean island that was "decimated" by Hurricane Irma on September 6.  The pastor and his wife were present two weeks ago when around 250 children were part of the first Operation Christmas Child distribution event for the islands of Antigua and Barbuda...the distribution was held on Antigua; many residents of Barbuda are still not back in their homes after being wracked by the Category 5 hurricane.  And, two days later, the entire island of Barbuda was evacuated to Antigua because of the threat of Hurricane Jose.

Pastor Mark and Cindy placed gifts into the children's hands, and Mark said: “Seeing this makes me want to do all I can while I can...” Cindy said, "It's beyond words how excited I feel,” adding, “I can’t wait to get home to pack some more shoeboxes. It’s such a joy to be a part of Operation Christmas Child, especially knowing that the children will be taught through The Greatest Journey how to faithfully follow Jesus.”  The article goes on to say:

Bishop Nigel Henry, who just celebrated 35 years of ministry on Barbuda, also attended the distribution event. He was excited about Operation Christmas Child and its follow-up discipleship course, The Greatest Journey.

“It’s a tremendous privilege to be a part of this kind of evangelism,” he said. “This will help our churches be revitalized from the child up as opposed to from the adult down.”

At the event in which the shoeboxes are handed out, there is a presentation of the gospel.  At this celebration, Devon Recha shared the Gospel. The piece says, "Devon was 12 years old when he received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift on the island of Grenada and also experienced Hurricane Ivan when it ripped through there in September 2004." Samaritan's Purse reports that "Devon, a former senator-turned pastor, challenged the children to commit their lives to Christ and to follow Him."

This Operation Christmas Child distribution was part of a multi-pronged strategy to bring hope to Barbuda.  Other initiatives of Samaritan's Purse include: reverse-osmosis equipment that purifies the water, helping residents with cleanup, and providing tarps, generators, jerry kits, and hygiene kits.  Samaritan's Purse will be constructing transitional housing, as well.

This story illustrates the love of Christ in action, and can remind us of the practical work of the gospel that is occurring all over the world.

We need hope in our world today, and it's vital that we do not lose sight of our mission.  Taking our eyes off ourselves is a key component.  Operation Christmas Child has the potential to do that for many families; while we all love to receive gifts, I believe that this outreach helps to turn the hearts and minds of children toward those who are in need.

I also think it's a cool cycle in operation when you think of how victims of one hurricane reached out to victims of another - the members of Grace Baptist certainly did not know that at the time, but I think there is a principle at work here: When you are experiencing need, shift the focus to the needs of others.  The Texas church members didn't cancel the packing party and they experienced the blessing of serving people who had suffered the devastation of another hurricane.

That act of love by a church family shows the importance of dedication to following Christ's direction.  Disappointment can cause us to cancel or change an assignment that God has given to us. Sometimes practicality will dictate a change of plans.  Other times, God wants us to stay the course. Our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit will help us determine how He would have us to proceed.