Devotional - September 21st, 2020

Hi everybody it’s me again, Casper. And I want to tell you about my weekend because it was very busy…well at least Saturday. It all started with my dad putting the extra board in the dining room table. Dad said it is called a leaf, but I have never seen a leaf outside that looked like that. Anyway, then he put on a big tablecloth and then the boxes came out. Twelve boxes that were red and green. He said they were Operation Christmas Child boxes and my dad looooooves to pack them. I think he has been shopping for weeks. After the boxes came out then he put out all the stuff that goes in the boxes…and there was a lot of stuff. My mom likes to pack boxes for the older girls and my dad for the older boys. Somewhere they read those are peoples least favorite boxes to fill.
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When they pack those boxes, my dad is like a kid in a candy store. He tries to see how much he can put in one box and they both talk about the kids that will receive these boxes. How they might not have anything else. They pack something they call a WOW gift. That is something that might make a kid say WOW when they see it.  And then there is other stuff as well. My dad even said this is way better than finding a pile of presents under the tree on Christmas morning. Except we haven’t been able to do that for years because Yoda would eat the packages open to see what was inside.

My dad even has a red tee shirt that says What goes into the box is fun, on the front and on the back, it says…but what comes out of the box is eternal. That didn’t make sense to me because I have heard him say everything breaks or gets lost or wears out. But then I remembered that when the kids all over the world get these boxes they also get a chance to go to Bible school and they get to learn about Jesus and at the end of the school they get a chance to accept Jesus as their Savior. That is the eternal part. And my dad says that is the best part. I think my mom and dad like to choose all the things for the boxes, but the best part is that kids get to know Jesus.

This year is a really important year my dad said because there have been so many problems all over the world. Lots of people have been sick with that virus and lots of people have lost everything in fires and floods and hurricanes and earthquakes and who knows what else. My job is to supervise the box filling, so it gets done right. There are things you can’t put in the box, like candy and toothpaste and war toys. But that leaves lots of other things you can put in.  We had a big mess from when mom and dad took everything out of the packages, because lots of places don’t have a place to put garbage. They said you have to take everything out of the wrappers. I think there are lots of rules. But now all the boxes are packed, and the house is back to normal.

There is a new box label this year and my dad was taking pictures of it. He takes pictures of lots of things. But he said this way they will get to know where the boxes go, and you can pay the shipping right then and there and you don’t have to find the right change or even write a check.  They were both excited to know that, and they talked about praying for the kids who get our boxes. I can say our because I supervised!

My dad talks about giving a lot and he always says it is better to give than it is to receive. He told me Jesus said that. It is in Acts 20:35. I think my dad thinks giving is fun and he says that God had picked us to give and that giving is a gift itself.  But he told me people at church don’t like to talk about money, even though Jesus talked more about money than He did heaven and hell put together. Jesus must have known that we would have trouble with money. Dad said people can start getting their boxes on October 11. Just think of all the fun you can have packing toys for kids who might not have anything. And if you can’t get out to shop you can send money or a check to church and the lady who is in charge will pack a box for you. Her name is Sharon. She looooves Operation Christmas child as much as my dad. But remember, the best part is that the kids and maybe even their families will get to meet Jesus.

In His grip
Casper Wiswall