What Are You Doing This Christmas?

What Are You Doing This Christmas?

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22

Bilgun, a young Mongolian boy, had a hole in his heart, and if he did not receive a specific operation, he would die before age twelve.

Samaritan’s Purse, a non-denominational ministry committed to aiding the helpless worldwide, responded to the need. Bilgun received the surgery which saved his life. In the process, his mother accepted Christ, and when she returned to her village in Mongolia, she told neighbors and friends the good news of Jesus. A neighbor believed, and the two continued spreading the gospel.

Now there is a church in that village, with a national pastor, and it has become a distribution point for giving Christmas shoeboxes to children, extending the ministry even farther.

All this happened because the Gospel is powerful, and because someone chose to go beyond being just a hearer of it, to being a doer of the it (James 1:22-23), carrying its message of love and salvation out into the world.

There are many such someones. Hundreds of believers volunteer at Samaritan’s Purse, in their headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, or their other stations around the world. There are times they have so many volunteers, there is a waiting list to help!

The organization is best known for Operation Christmas Child, an extremely well-organized ministry that each year sends millions of shoeboxes filled with toys, necessities and the gospel to children around the world. Little ones who have never received a gift in their lives beam as they hold their own shoebox, in awe that a stranger across the world cared so much.

And not just one stranger—a whole team of people who are not only hearers of the Word, but doers.

People all over America and several other cooperating countries put together the shoeboxes. Others deliver them to the warehouse. Still more doers organize and package them. Others pay to ship them to their destinations, where more doers distribute them to millions of excited children.

Operation Christmas Child is a beautiful example of how many ways there are to be a doer. From money for shipping, to family shopping excursions to fill shoeboxes, to prayer, to volunteering at the headquarters or around the world, there is something people of every age, every level of ability, and every economic level can do.

In total, over 100 million shoeboxes have been created and sent to children around the world. One hundred million! One shoebox at a time.

One of those millions made it into the hands of a boy in Russia, who received Christ. The boy reminded his mother to send in the response card; he wanted everyone to know about his decision. Later that day, terrorists came into his school, and this boy was killed. That shoebox did so much more than give a child a smile and a few toys—it carried the news of eternal life to a boy who is now in heaven because of it.

The story of the Good Samaritan in the Bible tells of two men, hearers of the Word, who passed by someone in need. A third man came, one who chose to set aside what was comfortable, who gave his time and money, expecting nothing in return.

Samaritan’s Purse seeks to continue that story to those in need around the world. They have not just heard the Word, but seek to do what it says.

How about you?

Like the Good Samaritan, will you stop your hurried pace and give of yourself, to be the hands and feet of Jesus this Christmas?

The world is full of hearers. What it needs is more doers.

For more information on how you can be a part of Operation Christmas Child, contact Samaritan’s Purse by phone 828-262-1980 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org.

Creative Ways to Get Involved:

1. Hold a Shoebox packing Christmas party!—invite friends or coworkers, asking them to bring items to fill at least one shoebox. Have a dinner, then instead of exchanging gifts or doing white elephant items, pack and wrap your shoeboxes together.
2. Family Christmas Gift to Jesus—as a family, save money throughout the year, then go on a big shopping excursion to fill Christmas shoeboxes. A great reminder of what the season is meant to be about.
3. Child’s Christmas Gift for Jesus—ask children to donate one or two of their many Christmas gifts to a child who will have none. Create a shoebox around that gift, with lots of praise and encouragement to the giving child!
4. A Gift on Behalf of Family or Friends—get the Gift Catalog from Samaritan’s Purse and choose one of the many possible gifts to fund, such as rescuing an exploited child, food for the hungry, a bicycle for a pastor, etc. The Gospel booklets that go into the shoeboxes cost only 50 cents each!  You can give a gift on behalf of someone, and Samaritan’s Purse provides a special card explaining your gift that you can send to that person at Christmas.

Kimberly Rae lived in Bangladesh, Uganda, Kosovo and Indonesia before Addison’s disease brought her permanently back to the US. She is the author of over twenty books, including Stolen Woman (Amazon bestselling romantic suspense on fighting international human trafficking) and Shredded (Amazon bestselling romantic suspense on fighting trafficking in small-town USA), and will soon be moving to Madison, Georgia, to join Source of Light Ministries, where she will use her love of writing to share Good News with the world. Find out more or order autographed books at www.kimberlyrae.com