The Wrappings of Christmas

I received an email from my friend Mark Crea yesterday.  Mark is the Executive Director of Feed My Starving Children, an organization I serve as a member of the Board of Directors.  I was struck by this image and Mark's reminder to us in the season that is upon us:

"Each Christmas much time is spent finding the perfect gift, hunting down just the right box to place it in, wrapping it in beautiful paper, and placing it under our Christmas tree.  Gifts pile high beneath the boughs – ready for loved ones to open on Christmas morning.  

But, imagine with me for a moment.  What if, rather than ripping the gift open and tossing away the wrapping and box to get at what’s inside, the box itself became the gift?  That’s exactly what happens when FMSC food arrives in the hands of those who need it so desperately.   Yes, they cook and eat the food; and, yes, it gives them life.  But, the gift does not stop there.  They use the box.  It becomes a bed.  It becomes a floor.  It covers the walls of their grass huts.

So, this year, as you open gifts with your loved ones, take time to examine the box.  Envision our boxes of life-giving food.  Pray for those who receive it.  Pray for those who are still waiting.  Thank God for the opportunity we have each day to be His hands and feet in lives of His precious little ones all around the world."

Merry Christmas, and let’s never grow weary serving.

http://www.fmsc.org/