Significant Insignificance (redo)

Yesterday was our Operation Christmas Child  Shoebox packing party. And again we heard how Samaritans Purse tackles this ministry "one shoebox at a time, one child at a time."

It made me think of my blog last year and I decided to repost. 

Samaritans Purse, a large Christian based organization that has a global impact, has as one of their ministries Operation Christmas Child, that has a global impact in its own right.6

If you read about "over a million shoeboxes distributed world wide", with tens of thousands of participants from all countries you can feel rather insignificant in the cause.

But....there is something different....in the way this is done...it is one on one.

One shoebox is personal, is significant in this huge global ministry. 

You may think you are insignificant,  but the one box YOU pack goes to ONE child. They open it, spend time with it, keep and save things, love every item and in so many cases, God has proven over and over, that children get the box that was meant for them. Items that seem specific to that child when it was packed weeks, months before, by an individual who does not know where the box is going, let alone who is getting it!

📖 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38

Each box you pack is an individual endeavor and that exact box is placed into a single child's hands.  

When bringing shoeboxes into our church (we are a collection center for our area), you get a peek at the personal touches people add to their boxes.

Our church makes sure every lid of the 504 boxes we pack has a traced hand print and a sticker with a short poem:

Put your hand on mine, I am praying for you. Will you pray with me? God's love is all around, just take a look and see!

Each lid  of the 504 shoeboxes we pack at our church is touched by one of our children and then will be given to a child.

The other significance of each shoebox is that with each box a child receives "The Greatest Journey " a 12 lesson discipleship program in their own language is given to them and once they complete the program they have a graduation ceremony for the children! 

Personal, significant, eternal.

Impacting the world for Christ one shoebox at a time!

📖 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?  And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.  In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.  Matthew 18:12-14

🙏 I pray you find significance in the insignificant while in service for Him.❤️

🎞 A Shoebox Prayer

The Living and the Dead (again)

I found this blog from 2020 and liked what was said. So I am going to repost.  I hope you don't mind and that it touches a heart or two. 

The Living and the Dead

I know I say I don't like to do this....and try not to very often...but sometimes a blog from the past just says what I am thinking at the moment.

So from 2018...with a few alterations.

I pray it is a blessing today.

Today is veterans day.... two years ago I wanted to know the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day...as some of the visual remembrances seem to be interchangeable.

Memorial Day is the day we honor those who have died in service to our country.
Veteran's Day is the day set aside to recognize and honor those living veterans and active military.
A big difference? Well to those still alive, I am guessing.

But aren't we honoring those who serve in our nation's armed forces either way?
I think the distinction between the living; those who served/are serving...and those who have died in service, is an important one.  Don't we honor the living differently than the dead?
But it got me thinking about honoring our Lord.

Jesus Christ died....in a battle with the sin of this world....He sacrificed His life for a worthy cause...YOU and ME!
📖 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
And we can honor that by accepting what He did for us.
📖  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God  2 Corinthians 5:21

BUT on the other hand!!  Jesus is ALIVE!

📖 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:27-29

And He is still "active duty"
 📖 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Isaiah 121:3-4
📖  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 

We can honor that by proclaiming what He did for us!

📖 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. Romans 14:8-10

This says it all!  
I have accepted His death for me, and I proclaim it!!

🙏🏼Lord,
I am grateful for those who have served our country, as well as those who have served You and lost their lives in that service.  And I am thankful for those who can testify to their service and those who are serving now.
BUT I am most thankful for the Savior who gave it ALL for me and is on my side today...everyday! Amen♥️

"I Appeal To You..."

 📖  I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)

If we are believers in Christ and His authority, that is what we are called to do, live in harmony...peace with each other. 

Not just with people we agree with, who make the same decisions we do, or have the same thought process we do.  But with those who have different opinions,  make different choices. Our unity is our love for Christ and His teachings found in God's Holy Word. 

📖 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Romans 12:18

We can disagree with people and still love them and treat them respectfully. 

Even on the big stuff.

Because that is what we are asked to do

and because that is what Jesus himself did. It is one of the reasons He came. It was one of His names prophesied in Isaiah. 

📖 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Jesus said we are called God's children and are blessed if WE can make peace.

📖Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.  Matthew 5:9

It isn't easy. We, on our own, cannot be peacemakers. But our humbled hearts, surrendered to Him can be filled with HIS peace. 

📖 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Even when we feel chaos is swirling around us...we can be peace, HIS peace. 

🙏🏼My prayer for today and this week;

📖 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. [AMEN] Colossians 3:15 ❤️

Be A Friend

 I don't know how some weeks it is Friday and all the ideas and thoughts I have rolling around in my head haven't come out in some form. 

And today was no exception....then I read something and here I am!

A portion of a book...not a scholarly book, or a deeply spiritual book, a children's book. But with deep meaning put down in simple form and spoken by endearing characters. 

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne.

It occurred to Pooh and Piglet that they hadn’t heard from Eeyore for several days, so they put on their hats and coats and trotted across the Hundred Acre Wood to Eeyore’s stick house. Inside the house was Eeyore.

“Hello Eeyore,” said Pooh.

“Hello Pooh. Hello Piglet,” said Eeyore, in a Glum Sounding Voice.

“We just thought we’d check in on you,” said Piglet, “because we hadn’t heard from you, and so we wanted to know if you were okay.”

Eeyore was silent for a moment. “Am I okay?” he asked, eventually. “Well, I don’t know, to be honest. Are any of us really okay? That’s what I ask myself. All I can tell you, Pooh and Piglet, is that right now I feel really rather Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. Which is why I haven’t bothered you. Because you wouldn’t want to waste your time hanging out with someone who is Sad, and Alone, and Not Much Fun To Be Around At All, would you now.”

Pooh looked and Piglet, and Piglet looked at Pooh, and they both sat down, one on either side of Eeyore in his stick house.

Eeyore looked at them in surprise. “What are you doing?”

“We’re sitting here with you,” said Pooh, “because we are your friends. And true friends don’t care if someone is feeling Sad, or Alone, or Not Much Fun To Be Around At All. True friends are there for you anyway. And so here we are.”

“Oh,” said Eeyore. “Oh.” And the three of them sat there in silence, and while Pooh and Piglet said nothing at all; somehow, almost imperceptibly, Eeyore started to feel a very tiny little bit better.

Because Pooh and Piglet were There. No more; no less.

A.A. Milne The House On Pooh Corner (1928)

📖 A friend loves at all times,

    and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17

📖  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

What a friend needs at a particular moment will look different. 
Laying down one's life may not mean actual death, but the sacrifice of our time, scheduled plans or our needs to just be there for someone who needs another present. 
🙏🏼Lord, show us, lead us, fill us, strengthen us, to be a friend today.♥️

📖  This is my command: Love each other. John 15:17