Every Box Has a Story

Matthew 13 reminds us that Jesus was a masterful story-teller, using illustrations to powerful communicate truth:  34 All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet : "I WILL OPEN MY MOUTH IN PARABLES ; I WILL UTTER THINGS HIDDEN SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD."

This weekend, my family and I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Atlanta to spend a few hours volunteering in the regional processing center for Operation Christmas Child, the ministry of Samaritan's Purse in which shoebox gifts are sent to needy children around the world.   Hundreds of people from churches throughout the Southeast were there...and here's the deal:   people are placed in teams, and each person has a job - the shoeboxes are taken from the cartons they were placed in at the regional collection centers, opened, any donations for shipping and handling are removed, the items are inspected and inappropriate ones are removed, then the boxes are taped up, then loaded into cartons - and the next time those cartons are opened is when the pastors and church leaders in various areas around the world provide the shoeboxes for the children in their communities, along with a reading guide called, "The Greatest Journey".   And, in the process of inspecting the box, the boxes with printed barcode labels through "Follow Your Box" are scanned to correspond with the carton into which they're loaded.

We all actually served in different capacities throughout our shift.   My first "job" was to open the box and look for the donations.    And, you really do capture a sense of the variety of different people who participate.  One group of boxes were almost identical in content - packages of stickers, pen, pencils, paper, etc.   Others had a real personal touch - an extension of the person who packed them, with personalized handwritten notes.   Some boxes were plain, others decorated with nice packing paper or even a printed cloth.   But, regardless of the how elaborate or how simple the packing, the message is the same for every box - God loves you and as you receive this gift, remember that He gave the greatest gift of all in sending His son into the world.

Jesus recognized the power of a story, and He used parables to communicate truth.   And, real-life stories are often used of God to touch hearts.  With respect to Operation Christmas Child, every box has a story - in Atlanta, the boxes were sent from all across the region, and represent time, effort, and hopefully, the prayers of the person packing them.  From our work on Saturday, those boxes will travel around the world, and be placed in the hands of children, who have their own story.    I think of the testimony of Oksana Nelson, who was in our studio recently, who received a shoebox while a Russian orphan, was adopted by an American family, and now is a strong spokesperson for the ministry.    Each person filling a shoebox has a chance to add to the story of the life of a child in need.

And, today, you have a chance to be part of the story of needy children across the River Region through the Montgomery Baptist Association Toy Sale...this Saturday, families will be invited to purchase the toys donated today and tomorrow for a greatly reduced rate.    These new toys become tangible expressions of the love of God and a teaching tool about the giving nature of God, who, again, gave His Son so that those who come to Him, as little children, needy children, might have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.   The great story-teller, our Father God, desires to use you in the story of someone else's life, and it will add to your life story and deepen your appreciation of the Christmas season - as you give.