Soon (if we haven’t already) we’ll be seeing Christmas decorations in the store and hearing Christmas music, and we’ll start saying to each other “Can you believe there’s Christmas stuff up in the stores already?”
But there’s one good reason to start talking about Christmas in October, and that’s for Operation Christmas Child. This year will be the 26th year Samaritan’s Purse has collected and delivered shoeboxes to children all over the world, not only giving them gifts they never would have otherwise had, but introducing them to the love of Jesus, and immeasurably changing countless lives forever.
And in order to get those shoeboxes where they need to go before Christmas, collections begin early – a mere 44 days from today, November 18th to the 25th. Just click on the hyperlink above and they’ll show you how to pack a shoebox and where your local drop-off locations are.
Yes, it’s easy, and it’s definitely a lot of fun, especially if you take your kids to help pick out the gifts or have a shoebox packing party.
It’s a simple act for us to do, but the impact the gift boxes have on these kids is not small. Here’s the story of Boun Thorne. It’s a tough, real story of a girl who grew up with no hope, finding hope in the person of Jesus Christ through someone who took the time to fill a shoebox with some simple gifts, and the power of His love, and how God’s blessed her since.