Monday Morning Memo: The Morning After

If you are reading this on Monday morning…you are more than likely tired.   You have survived another Christmas.  The bottom of the tree might now look bare…ripped off wrapping paper may cover your carpet…and your belt might need to be loosened from all your overeating.

I wonder if that’s what it was like the morning after the first Christmas.  Yes, I’m sure Mary was tired from giving birth the day before and Joseph was probably feeling the effects of watching his beloved Mary endure the pain of childbirth.  But I have to believe there wasn’t any letdown the morning after Jesus’ birth.  I can’t imagine that these new parents felt harried from the events of the past days or experienced depression because the big event was now over. Their focus during those days leading up to His birth had been on making sure they were prepared for His arrival.  Nothing else mattered. All the good times and the bad times before that big day were now just a blur as they held their precious baby in their arms.

I wonder if the reason we sometimes feel a letdown the day after Christmas is because our focus leading up to this celebration wasn’t on Him.  Could it be that we were more intentional on making sure the gifts for our friends and family were bought and wrapped, the food was all prepared and the parties were all attended…than on waiting with anticipation to celebrate Christ’s birth?  Oftentimes, we are so exhausted by the time Christmas finally arrives, that we just put ourselves on autopilot to get through the day…knowing we can collapse when it is all over.

If that is where you find yourself today, it’s not too late to refocus.  Take some time to read the following thoughts that I shared with you several years ago on what it might have been like to talk with Mary after she gave birth to her baby Jesus. As a mother myself, I can imagine that she was bursting with pride as she held her son for the very first time. I can’t help but believe that if anyone would have wandered by that stable those many years ago, that Mary would have said something similar to these words:

“I’m sorry to bother you. I know you are all so busy, but I just have to tell someone. You see, just a few short hours ago, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He’s the most gorgeous baby I’ve ever seen. He has dark curly hair, and chubby cheeks, and 10 fingers and 10 toes! I think he may even have my eyes!

It’s been such a long nine months. I’ve had so many different feelings and emotions. First, I had an angel tell me that I was going to have a baby and that I was to call him Jesus. The angel said that my baby would be great and he would be the Son of God. Of course, that was just the beginning. I had terrible morning sickness those first few months, and then once I started showing, I was the talk of the village. I could feel people staring and whispering behind my back. There were days that I wondered why I was chosen for this and why didn’t people believe me when I told them that I was carrying the Son of God? I guess it did sound pretty unbelievable.

But you know, when I held my baby Jesus in my arms for the first time, it made it all so worthwhile. Did I tell you how beautiful he is? I can hardly wait to see him smile for the first time and see him take his first step and say his first word.

I do worry some about how others will treat my son. I wonder if they will love him like I do. The angel told Joseph that Jesus was the Messiah and he was coming to save the people from their sins. Will they listen to him? I wonder if they will realize how much God must love them to send this child into the world to save them. Will they turn from their wicked ways or will they reject him? I wonder... what will you do?

Well, I hear my baby crying and I must go and see what he needs. I do want you to see him and to know him personally. I want so desperately for him to be a part of your life.

By the way, did I tell you how beautiful he is?”

What a night that must have been and what a “morning after” they must have experienced. You and I can also feel the same closeness to the Savior as they felt so many years ago just hours after His birth.  Let’s make an effort today to spend more time at the manger with our Messiah and savor the moments with Him.  I’m thinking that if we are intentional on keeping our focus on Him…our spirit will be refreshed and our soul will be renewed!

P.S.  It will soon be five years since I began writing a weekly blog post and to my knowledge I haven’t missed a week.  There have been times when I haven’t had a clue as to what I was supposed to write about…but the Lord has always been faithful to guide and direct me.  I’ve now decided to do something I haven’t done before and that is to take a month off…so I will not be blogging now until February.  I’m feeling like my spirit needs a rest to refuel and be re-inspired.  So it’s not goodbye…just “talk to you later” in February!  Happy New Year everyone!!

Monday Morning Memo: Rest...Now?

I don’t know about you, but I just love it (tongue in cheek) when I start a week with my calendar set and then something happens to change everything.   Not just one day’s plans or two…but absolutely everything.

We were heading home last Monday evening after visiting my dad and I made the comment to Dan that my throat was a little sore.  Thinking that’s all it was, I swallowed some vitamin C before bed and thought that would be the end of it.  I woke up Tuesday morning…feeling like a truck had run over me and wasn’t able to accomplish anything that day.

I decided Wednesday morning that I better see my doctor because surely she could just prescribe something that would make everything better and I could get back to my schedule.  Unfortunately she wasn’t too concerned with my schedule.   She checked me over and said that I had the viral bug that is rampant right now and that there wasn’t a quick fix.  She even had the audacity to tell me that I was probably going to get worse before I got better.  Such encouraging words.

After giving me something to hopefully settle down my cough and help me sleep, she informed me that the best thing I could do was to go home and go to bed for 2-3 days.  She said I needed rest…lots of rest.   I remember thinking that there was no way I was going to stay down that long…I just had too much to do.  Oh when will I learn?

Fast forward to this morning…and I still haven’t been out of the house since my doctor’s appointment.  Very little on my calendar has been accomplished these past days and I couldn’t even go to church yesterday.  That nasty “bug” hit me hard…zapping me of my energy and forcing me to go through with my doctor’s orders.  Each day I got up thinking of things that I would attempt to achieve that day…but would soon realize that most would remain undone.

It’s funny how when I’m healthy and going strong, I often wish I had a day to just rest, but then when I don’t have any other choice but to rest…I’m not happy.  Why?  Because of course, no one wants to have to rest because they are sick.  It’s one thing if it is our choice to take a day off…we just don’t like to be forced to rest!

When I think of those whose health deters them every day from doing what they would love to do, I feel ashamed that I’m whining from having to be down for only a week.  Mine is just a short-term inconvenience, but there are many who have encountered a huge detour in their life and find themselves on a journey they surely didn’t have on their schedule.  Day after day…week after week…month after month…they face health issues that prohibit them from fulfilling their dreams and aspirations.  But yet, so many of them, have made the choice to use their unplanned circumstances to shine their light for their Jesus.  They are determined to not dwell on what they can’t do…but on what they can do to touch the lives of others.

In Exodus 33:13-14, we read this conversation between Moses and the Lord:   “If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”

The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

Moses wanted to understand the Lord and His ways more fully and the Lord promised him that He would be with him every step of the way and that everything would be fine. He also told Moses that He would give him rest.  I don’t think the Lord was just talking about the fact that Moses and his people could rest once they reached the Promised Land.  I think He was telling him that HIS presence would give him rest – physically, mentally and spiritually -  no matter what life would throw at him.

And the same is true for us.  The Lord’s presence within us can give us rest…when an unexpected detour comes our way.  Rest…when our spirit feels unsettled and unsatisfied.  Rest…when the world around us is in disarray.  Rest…when we are apprehensive regarding our future.  Rest…when our mind wants to dwell on our past.  Rest…when His plans don’t concur with our plans.  And yes…rest even the week before Christmas.

Are you in need of rest today…physically, mentally or spiritually?  The Lord promises that His presence can give you the kind of rest you need for today, tomorrow and the weeks and months to come.  He knows absolutely everything about you and nothing that you are going through is a surprise to Him.  Today may not be the day you had planned on your calendar…but if you seek Him…He promises to walk with you every step of the way and give you rest.  I can’t think of anyone better to have as your walking partner than Him!

Monday Morning Memo: Impacting Eternity

Once again, Dan and I had the privilege last week to work at the Operation Christmas Child processing center in Boone, North Carolina.   This is a trip that we look forward to each year and it always seems like the hours just fly by and before we know it…we are heading back home.

As a result of my writing about this experience for the last few years, many of you have messaged me and said that you always make a point to fill boxes for this worthy cause.  On our drive home a few days ago, I was thinking that there might be some of you who aren’t familiar with what happens to your box after you drop it off at a collection center.  You may be under the assumption that your box goes directly to the lucky child after leaving the collection center…but that is not the case.  So I thought that maybe I would use my blog post today as a Public Service Announcement to fill you in on some of the details.

After the boxes are dropped off at the collection location in your area, they are then secured with rubber bands and packed in larger cartons so they can be taken to one of the eight processing centers across the country…like the one we work at in Boone.  The cartons are then unloaded from the semi trucks and placed at the end of each processing line.  This is the area where we stand and work each day from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

The first person on the line is the pre-inspector (this is usually my job).  I open the large cartons and take out a shoebox.  I take the rubber bands off and place them inside the box (they say the recipients love getting these bands!).  My job then is to make sure that the top of the box has a label on it with the information marked as to whether the box is for a boy or girl and the age group for which it was packed.  I then open the box and look for any money that may be inside.  They ask that you give $7.00 for each shoebox you pack to help defray the shipping costs and so my job is to remove that money and drop it into a safe box.  This is why it is so helpful if you put the money on top of all the contents of the box so that it can be easily seen.  Some choose to pay the shipping money on-line, so not every box will have money…but it’s my responsibility to search the contents for any checks or cash.  Not only is it important to find the money to help with shipping…but we are told that if cash is left in the box…the child receiving the box could be in danger if it is made known that they had been given money.

I then pass this box on to one of the inspectors (usually two on each side of the line).  Their job is to go through everything in the box to make sure that nothing inappropriate is in the box.  What I mean by this is that there are various items that are not allowed in the countries where these boxes are sent…so they need to be removed before shipping.  There are also items that are not allowed because of the fact that they could break during shipping and cause damage to the other contents.

Examples of inappropriate items are anything containing liquid (shampoo, body wash, snow globes, juice boxes, lotions, bubbles, etc.).  Food items such as crackers, cookies, fruit rolls or snacks are not allowed because it sometimes takes 4-6 months for a box to reach its location and these foods wouldn’t be fresh after that length of time.  Last year we had a box that contained homemade cookies…which was a nice thought…but they would have been rather nasty by the time the child received them!  We are also instructed to remove used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; medications, vitamins or aerosol cans.  Whatever is taken out of the box is not thrown away…but is given to children in need inside the United States that can receive it more quickly.  PLEASE NOTE:  In 2017, no toothpaste or candy will be allowed in the shoeboxes…due to new regulations and guidelines…so please make note of this!

The inspector then has “filler” items in front of them that they can add to the box to replace the things that needed to be removed.  This ensures that each child receives a well-filled box at the time of distribution. 

Once the box is adequately filled, it is then given to the “taper”.  This person runs tape completely around the box to ensure that the lid stays closed and no items are lost.

The box is then handed to one of the “packers” (Dan's job).  These workers (usually three or four of them) check to see if there is a “Follow Your Shoebox” label on the box.  If there is, then the barcode on the label is scanned along with the code on the larger shipping box.  This information is then sent to the person who originally packed the shoebox so they know exactly where their box was distributed.

The packers then place the shoeboxes in the larger shipping box according to whether they are for a boy or a girl and by the age for which they are designated.  The packers’ job is sometimes like putting a puzzle together, since there are various sizes of boxes and tubs used.  They need to be good at figuring out how to get all of the mismatched boxes in the shipping box without lost space.  

Once the shipping box is full, the packer places the large carton on a conveyor belt, which moves the box to the end of the line.  At that location the box is taped closed and loaded in a semi truck to begin its journey to its final location.

The goal this year at the Boone processing center is to process 850,000 shoeboxes….and that is just for one center!  It is an amazing experience to be a part of such a worthy cause.

Do these boxes have an impact on the recipients?  We heard from a man who, at the age of seven, was in an orphanage with 250 children in Rwanda.  He said excitement was high when they received their boxes…because this was the first gift any of them had EVER received!  Can you imagine?  As a result of being given this box, along with the fact that He was introduced to Jesus through this event, he asked Jesus into his heart.

A regional director for East Africa spoke and told of one of his trips to deliver the boxes.  He talked to a young boy, Frankie, and asked him what he hoped to get in his box.  Frankie answered that he wanted a blue shirt with buttons down the front.  The director started to tell him that he was doubtful that he would get a shirt like that in his box, but before the words came out of his mouth, he felt the Lord telling him to be quiet and not squelch the boys enthusiasm. 

Sometime later, the director saw Frankie and asked him what was in his box.  With his face beaming, he showed the man the blue shirt with buttons down the front that he had received.  He was so excited and said he wanted the shirt to wear to church on Sunday.  Later, after returning to the states, the director was telling this story and a woman’s face lit up.  She said that she had been in Walmart and found 10 blue, buttoned down shirts for $1.00 a piece, so she had bought them all and put one in each of her boxes.  Coincidence?  I think not!

In another instance there were two brothers, but because there weren’t enough boxes to give to everyone, only one of the brothers received a box.  But when the one boy opened his box, there were two of everything inside. Once again, the Lord had provided.

When you hear of children who are thrilled to finally have their very own toothbrush, instead of having to share one toothbrush between many children…children who are thrilled to finally have a bowl to put soup in – instead of having to cup their hands to hold the hot broth…children who receive a shoebox as their first present ever and as a result, ask Jesus into their heart…it makes time spent filling shoebox as time well spent.

If you have never filled a shoebox, I urge you to do it next year.  I’m planning on watching for items on sale or clearance throughout the year and put together a stockpile that can be used to fill even more boxes in 2017.  Pinterest has lots of ideas as to what you can pack in your box for each age group.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.  It’s a small price to pay to have a huge impact on eternity!

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”

Matthew 25:34-40