Christmas 2009
My best Christmas memory of 2009 started early in the month with a trip to Boone, North Carolina for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). OCC is a project of the Samaritan Purse organization led by Billy Graham’s eldest son, Franklin Graham. Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan's Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ (www.samaritanspurse.org).
The organization’s name comes from the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:30-37, which gives a clear picture of God's desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, "Go and do likewise." The OCC program started with the collection of shoeboxes stuffed with toys, socks, toothbrushes and other items and delivered to 25,000 needy children around the globe. In 2009, the goal was to deliver 8.2 million shoeboxes to children who might not experience any new items throughout the year, much less a Christmas gift. Sixteen of my church friends and I spent a weekend in the processing center in Boone and during our two days of volunteer work, we were part of a team that packaged over 40,000 shoeboxes for global delivery. While my back and feet were tired, my heart was full as I participated in my favorite event of the Christmas season.
A close second to this favorite memory is the annual dinner I host in December for a small group of girlfriends. This tradition started 25 years ago, the Christmas after we graduated from college. The friends who attend include my very first friend I met in first grade, a few other friends collected in grade school and middle school and two friends who joined the group when we started high school. No college or work friends, though I treasure those relationships as well, this is a celebration of people who have been in my life, some for 40 years. The 25th anniversary of this dinner was a special time for all of us. We’ve seen each other through the most important events of our lives – graduations, marriages, births, divorces and deaths – and sharing a meal during the Christmas season is something we all look forward to and we count as the official beginning of Christmas.
The common element of the OCC weekend and the “girls’ dinner” is the people factor. Not shiny gifts or new things – but spending time with loved ones. My resolutions for the new year are no different than any other year, and I’m sure they are the same ones that appear on all the top ten lists of resolutions, but my goal for the year that I know I’ll keep is to make new friends, but treasure the old, and to strengthen my relationship with God and to continue to look for ways to serve as his hands and feet.
The organization’s name comes from the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:30-37, which gives a clear picture of God's desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, "Go and do likewise." The OCC program started with the collection of shoeboxes stuffed with toys, socks, toothbrushes and other items and delivered to 25,000 needy children around the globe. In 2009, the goal was to deliver 8.2 million shoeboxes to children who might not experience any new items throughout the year, much less a Christmas gift. Sixteen of my church friends and I spent a weekend in the processing center in Boone and during our two days of volunteer work, we were part of a team that packaged over 40,000 shoeboxes for global delivery. While my back and feet were tired, my heart was full as I participated in my favorite event of the Christmas season.
A close second to this favorite memory is the annual dinner I host in December for a small group of girlfriends. This tradition started 25 years ago, the Christmas after we graduated from college. The friends who attend include my very first friend I met in first grade, a few other friends collected in grade school and middle school and two friends who joined the group when we started high school. No college or work friends, though I treasure those relationships as well, this is a celebration of people who have been in my life, some for 40 years. The 25th anniversary of this dinner was a special time for all of us. We’ve seen each other through the most important events of our lives – graduations, marriages, births, divorces and deaths – and sharing a meal during the Christmas season is something we all look forward to and we count as the official beginning of Christmas.
The common element of the OCC weekend and the “girls’ dinner” is the people factor. Not shiny gifts or new things – but spending time with loved ones. My resolutions for the new year are no different than any other year, and I’m sure they are the same ones that appear on all the top ten lists of resolutions, but my goal for the year that I know I’ll keep is to make new friends, but treasure the old, and to strengthen my relationship with God and to continue to look for ways to serve as his hands and feet.
Comments
Post a Comment