Operation Christmas Child

The theme for this year at school is "Love God, Serve Others". Today my 8th grade homeroom put that into action as we spent our morning preparing boxes to be sent to Operation Christmas Child. This year our boxes are being sent to the Philippines and it was really great to see all that my students chose to include in them; flashlights, notebooks, pens, stickers, candies, blankets, toys, and even a slingshot. It's hard at times to help young people (and adults) who live in such prosperous countries understand the depths of poverty at which most of the world lives. Without going and seeing for themselves, it's hard to imagine. As I reflect on the the list of Christmas gifts my own daughters have been asking for this year I feel anxious and yet am humbled to be able to provide for them in such a way that their wants are not needs but desires and hopes. To me, Christmas is about HOPE. We hope Santa will bring us the presents we want, we hope mom or grandma will make her famous dessert, we hope we can spend time with family and friends, and most of all... the hope we have for eternal life because of Jesus.