You can get this printable notecard by Julie of Joy’s Hope HERE.
This week has been crazy.
This week has been amazing.
Our last task is an extension of Day 3: Giftcard to Homeless.
This time of year when our tables will be filled with more food than we can possibly eat, our living rooms a flurry of wrapping paper and ribbon, our trash cans filled with packaging, and laughter and love will waft through our homes…it never hurts to love on those who will not have this in the coming weeks. To show them in a teeny way that they are not forgotten in our holiday haste.
Off to the dollar store Henry and I went.
We talked about who we were buying for on our way.
“But mom, I think everyone has a house.”
“No babe. Not everyone. We’ve talked about this, remember?”
“Yeah, but look at all these houses everywhere! There’s plenty!” (As we drove through a neighborhood.)
“I know buddy. But there are already people living in those houses.”
“Well, I think they should share. I think there’s room in there.”
Cue the conviction, tears, and the knot in my throat.
“I know babe. But it’s complicated. Mama doesn’t understand it all. I just know that we have to be kind and loving and do what we can to help, even if it’s just a little present.”
“Oh, maybe it’s because there’s not enough beds? I think that’s why.”
“Yeah. Maybe…”
Even if I knew the reasons were much more complex, I settled for that simple reason for my 4 year old. For now. I’m sure that in the years to come, we will peel back the reasons…together.
Once we got to the store, I let him pick out the items. “What would someone who doesn’t have a house like to have?”
With some nudging, and talking through items: “Now, do you think someone with no house needs toilet cleaner?”
“Oh yeah. I forgot mom.”
Except that that made getting toothpaste and a toothbrush complicated.
“But mom, if they don’t have a house, how will they brush their teeth?”
“Well, there are places called homeless shelters where people can go sometimes to hang out and get cleaned up and eat if they want.”
“Oh. Okay, let’s get a green toothbrush then!”
And whenever a color choice was available, green it was. Because green is the most favoritest color in all the land.
We came home and packed up our wares.
A scarf, socks, trail mix, flashlight, batteries, chapstick, and some other incidentals. Another giftcard tucked inside and a note.
Today we will give it to whoever is certain to be on the corner near the shopping center down the street.
And I will be sure to cry.
And he will be sure to ask questions that make me want to scream “Because the world is broken and it makes me angry!!!”
None of us can save the world. That job is exclusive to Jesus. But in the meantime, we will love. Because that’s what we are called to do. Even if it’s crazy and makes no sense somedays.
(Julie threw a Blessing Bag Party. Another fun way to do this task.)
While we’re packing up gifts for those in our backyard, sending a little gift of love outside our borders is even easier if you can believe it.
Consider ending our Happy Day Project with a gift to someone who will never be able to say thank you.
Samaritan’s Purse are the folks responsible for those Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes you see this time of year. You can also shop their gift catalog and in your own way let others on the other side of the world know that they aren’t forgotten. That they are loved from afar. Because we are all brothers and sisters in this crazy mixed up world.
(Hint: you can actually do the donating by clicking this link. If you look over to the right you can view the interactive catalog. Or click on the gift link and it will open up a photo with more details. I highly suggest it. It adds poignant photos to the gifts that were valuable to me as I looked at the list of what to buy.)
***If you’ve participated in The Happy Day Project, we’d love to see summary posts and reflections on your week! Julie and I will be hosting a linky party this Thursday, November 17th. You have a few days to recover and process. Let’s see the happy that was spread around the country this past week!***
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Oh, my. I started the Happy Day on Monday along with you. I have to tell you it brought me so much joy!…and then I went into labor that night and had my son the next day. Reading your posts with him in my arms does something to my heart. I really love that you’re posting about doing this with your son. Even though he’s only a few days old, I’m beginning to voice the ways we’re going to love people together to my own son…and it’s partly because of your example. Thank you for being so open with your life and your heart. You’re pouring a lot of good into the world, Jeannett!
Our church is participating in Operation Christmas Child. I had never heard of it up til now, so this is the first year we’re participating. When I first went to the store I honestly just got a few toys, a pack of gel pens, and a few note pads.
That night I went to the offical website of OCC to pay for the shipping when I found some videos. I couldn’t stop watching the different videos of children so excited to receive a little shoe box with a few, what we would call, trinkets. There were several testimonies from people who had received a shoe box when they were little and what it meant to them. It hit me really hard to hear how much a toothbrush meant to someone, how one little boy was longing for school supplies, how another clung to a picture that was included in the box from the person that shipped it because they felt loved for the first time.
Needless to say I went out and got more things for out little shoebox. I crammed as much as I could in there; I had to wrap the box with 3 rubberbands to keep in together. I also included a picture of our family along with a note telling them how much they are loved and that we are praying for them everyday.
I love what you’ve done this week. I’m praying that the events from this week create many ripples. <3
We’re having a shoe box packing party at my house Thursday….so excited! We’ll have a few videos for the kids to watch and then we’ll put together the boxes that we shopped for last week.
And this Happy Day project? Sooo awesome! I think I commented before that I was working on a few RAOK projects already last week but I want to follow along with your posts even thought I’m a little late. In fact, how fun would it be to have a Happy Day project week every month?! Hmmm… Need to pray about that one.
Thanks Jeannett!
Thanks for sharing the links!
We did Operation Christmas Child in our MOPS (Mothers of PreSchoolers) group.
We actually had a member there from Russia say that she remembers receiving one as a child herself. It was awesome to her hear story. It just validated how AMAZING this project is.
=)