Teaching to Serve {Christmas Mini Boxes}

 Before we start let me just lay this out here.

I'm grouchy.

We're going through a little phase where we don't want to go to bed. And by we I mean she. You know the girl.

The bedtime routine is getting longer and longer. At the end of the day if Daddy isn't home, little sister isn't having it.

At the end of the day, I'm tired and little sister needs to go to bed.

I don't generally share much here about struggles with behavior or things related to the effects of things that happened before she was born. There are many days like today where we navigate through the day jumping one hurdle after another. These days wear me out.

That's all I have to say about that.

Christmas is almost here! Eeeeek! I'm not ready. I have shopping left to do. I have most of my shopping left to do. I haven't seen the inside of a Target in months. Santa is teetering on being a bit on the disappointing side.

In the midst of all of that nonsense is something wonderful.

Yesterday evening we hosted our first through sixth grade mission group girls in our home for a little Christmas party. I cleaned the halls, threw a tablecloth on the table and sent someone else after the ice.

Around nearly dark the girls filed in with their Mamas in tow. The house was full of food and giggles, and it was good.

Each of the girls were asked to bring an empty shoe box. They had no idea why.

After dinner, we gave each girl a $5.00 bill. Their instructions were to think of someone who could use some love. Maybe a family in financial hardship, someone grieving, or an elderly person.

We gave them several examples of things they could put inside their box. We even told them to consider that $5.00 could provide more than one meal.

 

We answered questions here and there about keeping it a secret, not signing our name and pointing to God.

Then, we sent the girls to the store with their Moms to shop for their Christmas box.

A couple of the girls went over the $5.00 allotment, and their Moms chipped in. A few of the girls decided to split packages of things like hot cocoa, tea and candy.

We gave each girl a "freebie" of two mini candy canes for their box.

They lined their box with tissue paper and then placed their items inside. We all made over the items they chose. We had several adults help with wrapping and they made a special tag to place on top.

The girls were all excited to deliver their boxes. Before they left the Mamas were all discussing other folks that might could use a box too. Serving spreads like wildfire.

Making these little mini boxes was fast, fun and affordable. Our girls came with an empty shoebox and left with a blessing for someone and a lesson for their lifetime. If a first grade girl can bless the socks off of someone so can you.

God is good, all the time!