When I say the word “Christmas,” what usually comes to mind? (Allow for responses. Stop when your child says “presents”). Yeah, presents are usually something we think about when we think of Christmas. We all like to get gifts from our friends or family, right? But, did you know that there are thousands of kids around the world who never get a single gift at Christmas? It’s true! Think about what it would feel like if you never got a Christmas present. That would be tough! Now, what if you could help those kids get a present this year? Wouldn’t that be awesome? Well that’s exactly what we’re going to do…give them a great Christmas!

Our family has the opportunity to send small gifts to kids in different countries all over the world. An organization called Operation Christmas Child gives us the chance to fill an empty shoebox with small items such as hard candy, small toys, books, crayons and other fun stuff. Then those boxes are sent overseas into different countries to boys and girls who would otherwise not receive anything this Christmas. How cool is that?!

Here’s how we’re going to fill a box. First, we’ll need an empty shoebox. Then, we will need to decide if our box is going to a boy or girl as well as decide on what age the child will be. This will help us determine what kind of items to get. Next, we’ll go to the store and find items to fill our box. Once we are done filling the box, we will put our label on it and then take it to the nearest collection center. This collection center will then make sure our box is sent overseas to a boy or girl.

Not only will this project be fun for our family, but we will also be serving other kids around the world, which is something Jesus did himself. In fact, it says so in Mark 10:45 (NIrV)—Even the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. This means that when we serve others, we are being like Jesus. God wants us to grow in our relationships with others. Serving others is a great way to connect with another boy or girl, even if that person lives far off in another country.

Let’s pray and thank God for this great opportunity to serve others.

Devotion 8 – Operation Christmas Child