Samaritan's Purse bases their ministry off a well-known scripture in the book of Luke. An expert of the law was questioning Jesus regarding who "his neighbor" was referring to.
In reply, Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passedby on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
Jesus told him,"Go and do likewise." Luke 10:30-37
According to their website, Samaritan's Purse' mission is to "Go and do likewise." The specific ministry my sister-in-law got us involved in is called Operation Christmas Child. That first year, we packed a shoebox for each member of our family. Basically, in order to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children throughout the world, these shoeboxes are lovingly packed with toys, stuffed animals, hygiene items, and school supplies before being shipped to children who have NEVER had such things. The best thing of all is that they will include the message of the Gospel in the children's own language whenever possible. We not only take part in helping underprivileged children, but in spreading God's Word!
After that first year, we wanted to do something a little bigger...we wanted to involve the church as a whole in packing and sending these shoeboxes. For the past four years, this has been a church ministry that has been sponsored by our Sunday school children. What a blessing this has been, not only to our children, but also to the adults in our church! We set a goal of 100 boxes the first two years, but last year decided to let GOD set the number of boxes HE wanted us to send to His children. We sent over 300 boxes last year and will probably send about the same amount this year. The outpouring of God's love through the people of our church is amazing... we are a small church, so it really is awesome to watch Him work!
And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26
 |
| Gathering their shoeboxes! |
One of the real wonders of the shoebox is how it changes the hearts of those who help pack them. Mikayla has been a part of this since she was a baby, and it is a hard concept to a child who wants for very little to understand that there are children in the world who have NOTHING! Tonight was one of those nights I was encouraged as she prayed, "Please God be with all of the children who get these shoeboxes. Please help them ALL know about you." Her young prayers have been carried to a mighty, powerful God who will use these simple shoeboxes for His glory!!
I challenge you to pack a shoebox this year for Christmas. Send a box, pray for a box, sponsor a box...God can use ALL of us, no matter how small. If you do pack a box this year or have any questions about packing a box, please let me know!
Linking up with Seeds of Faith.
