I HOPE SHE LIKES PANDAS

If you are a regular shoebox packer for Samaritan Purse’s Operation Christmas Child, you probably know OCC typically receives more boxes for girls than for boys, and for younger children than older. Their greatest need is for the oldest category of boys. I used to try to help fill this gap.

Then God gave us five grandsons and I became a rebel. The annual shoebox project has become my once-a-year opportunity to buy little girlie things. In 2019, I had great fun packing a shoebox for a girl around four years old.

Before I started shopping, I prayed. God already knew who was going to receive my box, so I asked him to show me which items she most needed and would like. In addition to the practical hygiene items and school supplies, I found a pink skipping rope, hair accessories, a pink notebook, and more. When I placed them all in the box, I discovered that by removing most of the packaging, I still had plenty of room for more.

I went shopping again. I prayed again. This time, I found a package of little girl underwear and a “Canada” t-shirt for her. But I knew the box still had space for one more toy. A little stuffed animal was in order. I sifted through the store’s bin of little stuffies. Which one would she like best, Lord? Please help me spot it.

I narrowed them down to three: a puppy, a panda bear, and a cute, snugly bird. I couldn’t decide. That’s when I noticed a man shopping with his little daughter. She appeared about the same age as “my” little girl. I wondered which toy she would pick.

As they walked toward me, I smiled at them. Holding up the three options, I asked the dad, “Is it okay if I ask your little girl which one of these she likes best? It’s for another little girl.”

Before I could even finish asking, she pointed with enthusiasm to the panda bear. I thanked her and put the other two back, hoping I hadn’t created a dilemma for her dad.

When I took the items home and began packing my box, I discovered something. The little pink hairbrush I had picked out on my previous shopping trip featured a panda bear on the back. A perfect match! The two bears looked terrific nestled in among all the pink.

Don’t tell me God isn’t in the details. I know this box landed in the hands of a little girl in a developing country—possibly even the same part of the planet from which the man in the store and his daughter came. A little girl who never received a gift before in her life. A girl who likes pink and who is especially fond of panda bears. I hope she also discovers that God is especially fond of her.

If you have never participated in Operation Christmas Child, I encourage you to consider packing a box this year. If shopping is too hard for you right now, your can fill a box online by going to OCC’s website.

“Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’” Matthew 25:40 (The Message)

 

 

Boycott the Negativity in 2015!

I observed a disturbing phenomenon in the weeks leading to Christmas and now that enough time has lapsed for charitable requests to diminish and emotions to settle, I feel I can rant about it. I might not have noticed had this not happened three times within two days, all on Facebook.

Scenario #1

Someone posted information about how to assemble a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. Included was a video showing the joyful abandon on the faces of children receiving their boxes—gleeful smiles no one could Photoshop. Below were several comments, mostly positive, such as “Mine’s done!” or “Our family’s doing three this year.” 

But one person felt the need to bring some balance (I presume) by quoting a missionary from a third world country where the boxes are distributed. The missionary “hated” shoebox time because she’d seen some children left out and she’d seen culturally inappropriate gifts included in the boxes. I asked if it would be better for no child to receive a gift. The person replied that perhaps it should be better organized. 

Seriously? I guess you don’t need to be well-organized to get 664,000 shoeboxes from across Canada into the hands of hurting children around the world each year. 

Scenario #2

A friend was working with students from PCI, collecting gift box items for women spending their holiday at the women’s shelter. Again, among the comments, was this joy-killer: “That shelter doesn’t let us speak Ojibway.”

Admittedly, I have no idea what the story is behind that statement. But let’s suppose it’s the worst case scenario and no one is “allowed” to speak Ojibway at the shelter, ever. Does that mean the women in the shelter’s care should be denied Christmas gifts? Where’s the logic in that?

Scenario #3

Some gay activists called for a boycott of the Salvation Army’s Christmas kettles due to alleged discrimination. The SalvationArmy helps 1.8 million vulnerable and marginalized people across Canada each year. Their Code of Conduct is readily available online and includes their policy forbidding discrimination: “Prohibited grounds of discrimination include race, colour, gender, disability, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, marital or family status, sexual orientation, or any other grounds covered by human rights legislation within Canada.”  They uphold the dignity of all people, believing all are equal in the eyes of God, and firmly oppose the mistreatment of any person. Which means if workers within the organization violate this code, they do so without the support of the Salvation Army and must be reported. 

I personally spent two afternoons at Sally Ann helping register clients for Christmas hampers. Not once was I asked about my sexual behaviour nor was I instructed to ask any of the people I was registering. I was impressed with the high level of respect and organization that goes into the preparation of over 500 custom-packed hampers for people in the Portage la Prairie area alone. 

I would not be surprised to learn the Salvation Army has helped more homeless and hungry gay people than all other groups combined—but we’ll never know, because they’ll never ask.

No charity is perfect. If we humans were capable of creating a perfect charity, we wouldn’t require charities. We’d have risen above the need for shoeboxes, women’s shelters and Christmas hampers. But we haven’t. Thank God, many decent and honorable groups work hard to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a broken, beaten world. 

Yes, there are always ways to do things better and most organizations improve each year. But to those who criticize and call for boycotts, I ask: what are YOU doing? How many needy have YOU helped?

Things Not Worth Dwelling On

A few final thoughts on “It’s a Wonderful Life” and then I promise to be done with it…

You might be sick and tired of my going on about “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the third week in a row, but it’s my blog and I’ll brag if I want to. The fact is, I had not actually seen the production when I wrote the last two columns. (Such is the nature of deadlines.) I confess, I passed judgment on something I hadn’t seen and I was mistaken. It wasn’t just a great play. It was absolutely fantastic! The Prairie Players nailed it, and it proved far more entertaining than I imagined and much funnier than the movie.

Although everybody did a brilliant job and looked marvelous doing it, I thought Jonathan Britton  played an outstanding George Bailey. And I must express special appreciation for the two on-stage Foley artists, the father and son team of Keith and Lindsay Burch (soon to be introducing a third generation to the Prairie Players!) You guys rock. Thank you, congratulations, and bravo to all of you!

If you didn’t see the play, I feel sorry for you. But not too much. Listen to me next time.

I worked “front of house” all four nights and learned something about myself in the process—something I’m not too proud of. I discovered the whole donning of the 1940s outfit, trying to keep those seams down the back of the hosiery straight, and the hour spent curling my hair into victory rolls got old by the third night. Yet, had I been on stage, four nights would have felt like not nearly enough.

I don’t like to consider what this might say about me. Not a team player? Not happy unless she’s in the spotlight? Probably some truth in that. But then, there’s probably some truth in that for most of us. Anyway, I fulfilled my commitment. My hair held up, even if my enthusiasm waned. Some things are not worth dwelling on.

                                                

Now it’s time to turn to Christmas preparations in real life…

At least I didn't do THIS.

Before the cold and snow arrived, I strung Christmas lights across the front of our house. Correction: almost across. I kind of ran out of lights before I ran out of house. But hey, I never claimed to be Martha Stewart and my home was not on the Homes for the Holidays tour. While this type of imperfection would have driven me crazy in younger years, I’m just glad to see lights on the house. Some things are not worth dwelling on.

Our family is foregoing gifts this year in favor of spending our money on travel expenses so we can all be together. I did, however, pack a Shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. Since God saw fit to bless us with three grandsons, it’s a treat to choose items for a little girl. It’s amazing how, once you dispose of all the packaging, you can fit twice as much stuff in your shoebox. Don’t make the mistake I did: shopping before reading the list of what NOT to pack. Guess I get to keep the grape flavored, Disney Princess, melts-too-easily lip balm.

I wish I could witness the little girl’s face when she opens her box. Truthfully? What I’d really like to see is a video of her opening it, watched from the comfort of my own home. I’m not keen on travelling to jungle climates with bugs and no air conditioning and poor sanitation. Pathetic, I know. More revelations about myself I’d rather not dwell on.

And in other Christmas preparations…

I will also forego our family Christmas newsletter—again. What was once a fun annual tradition seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird with the launch of my blog a few years ago. If anybody really wants to know what’s going on with the Todds, it’s not hard to find out.

But I am happy to report that newsletters are being written at my desk nonetheless…from the most unlikely of Christmas characters. It will be my joy to share these with you throughout December, so I hope you stay tuned and I hope you’ll find them to be columns worth dwelling on.

A Box Full of Hope

What did you receive for Christmas last year?

How about the year before that?

And before that?

I’m guessing the majority of my readers need to think hard to recall what gifts they’ve been given for Christmas, birthday, or other events in recent years. I know I do. That doesn’t mean I didn’t appreciate or like them. It probably just means I have received much.

Suppose you had received only one gift in your entire life. Do you think you’d remember what it was? Who gave it? Would you cherish it? Might you still have it? 

Somewhere this year, a child will receive the first gift he or she has ever—and may ever—receive. He will remember. Will it come from you?

Thanks to Operation Christmas Child, this scenario will repeat itself millions of times as the program continues to grow.

In 1990, Damaris Vezantan lived with her parents in Romania and was one of the very first children to receive an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift packed by someone like you. She still remembers the occasion. The Eastern European nation was just coming out of decades of brutal leadership, and conditions were so bad that water was available only until noon each day.

“The shoebox I received when I was nine included items like soap, a small doll, crayons and markers, hair clips, and a notebook, with a locket that I still have.” Damaris said.

The box also included a picture of the family who packed it for her, with a Bible verse on the back: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:15, NIV).

“Reading the verse over and over and trying to remember it, I saw it right there: “For God so loved the world that he GAVE. It was the greatest lesson I learned that day,” Damaris remembered. 

Today, Damaris is a Canadian citizen and participates with her family in Operation Christmas Child. She has even travelled to Senegal and presented children with shoebox gifts in person, watching the joy on their faces as she recalls the impact such a gift made in her own life.

For some kids, finding a notebook and a few pencils in their shoebox means the difference between attending or not attending school. When you consider the ripple effects a gift like that can make as one child receives an education and the trajectory of their life changes, you can see how something so little can mean so much. That’s why they call it the ripple effect. You touch one tiny spot on the water, and it grows all the way to the shore.

You will probably never meet the person who receives your gift or hear their story of the way it changed their life.

Then again, you just might.

You’ve got until November 24 to pack your box and deliver it to the Portage Mall. Don’t miss out! The one who said “it is more blessed to give than receive” knew what he was talking about--he gave the greatest gift of all. Let’s spread the love around and do our part to keep those ripples moving all the way to the shore.