28: DAYS LEFT until the Christmas holiday officially begins.
17: Days left until it begins at our house.
On Nov. 17 we will officially kick-off Christmas in a powerful, yet simple, way when we deliver several wrapped shoeboxes stuffed with small gifts to an Operation Christmas Child drop-off location in Emporia.
It’s a tradition we started several years ago when Chris and I decided our family would not be swept into the self-centered, gimme-gimme-gimme nature of the holiday anymore. Instead, we made a commitment to ourselves and our children to make the celebration of Christmas more about serving others than serving ourselves.
When Grace was 3 years old, one of the new traditions we started in our family was participating in Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, a ministry led by Franklin Graham, the Rev. Billy Graham’s son. Every year around this time, individuals and families all around the world fill simple shoeboxes with small toys, school supplies, hygiene items and other meaningful gifts.
And then, in November, more than eight million of these boxes are collected and sent to children in more than 110 countries around the world who are facing desperate situations like war, poverty and famine. Their mission is simple: To give them the opportunity to celebrate Christmas, many for the first time.
It may seem early to begin thinking about Christmas, but Operation Christmas Child has empowered us to start the season our way, not the discount store’s way. Our first Christmas shopping trip is not for lights, ornaments or garlands to adorn our home, or even presents for others in our family. It’s about each of us choosing special, hand-picked items to go in a shoebox that will belong to a child somewhere far, far away.
Grace and Hattie will shop for girls their own age. After sometimes several trips to the store and much contemplation and decision-making, their boxes will usually include some of their favorite books, plastic jewelry, crayons, hair accessories, toothbrushes, several pieces of candy and perhaps their school pictures, too. Will’s box, with the help of his big sisters, will likely include toy tractors and cars, board books, some socks, a ball and his favorite candy.
But what’s even more exciting than filling their boxes is that November day when they get to personally deliver them to the drop-off location in town, say a little prayer for its recipient, and send it on its way.
And what’s even more exciting than that is what we’ve found in the following weeks leading up to Christmas Day: our kids’ preoccupation with their boxes’ destination always tends to temper their obsession with their own Christmas wish-lists.
“Mission accomplished!” their dad and I say.
Because while we as parents are certainly concerned about children facing desperate situations on the other side of the world, there is a desperate situation our three kids face on a daily basis: selfishness. So, whenever we can offer an opportunity for our kids to turn that selfishness into service, we consider it a “mission accomplished.”
More than 15 churches are collecting shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child in the Emporia area. The First Nazarene Church at 2931 W. 24th Ave., will be the official drop-off site, during the national collection week, Nov. 17-24.
To find out more about Operation Christmas Child or for guidelines on how to pack a shoebox, go to samaritanspurse.org.