Grace drawing a "rainbow" for her box.
Grace packing her items in her shoebox.This week I got to experience something really neat. Watching my daughter enjoy doing something I LOVE. Ever since Lindsay introduced us to Operation Christmas Child in college I have loved packing shoeboxes. Since then I have learned a lot about Samaritan's Purse as an organization and read several books about it and Franklin Graham. But, I had yet to do this project as a family. I was waiting for Grace to be "old enough." At Grace's class on a Wednesday night they got to help shoe boxes for our church. She LOVED it. She came home telling me about her friend (an older child) who helped her pack the box. She also told me many of the items she helped pack. After seeing what fun she had at church I decided it was time we pack a shoe box togethor. Before our trip to WalMart we talked about the box and that is would be a gift for a friend. She wanted to know if it would be for Jada or Brynn (her best friends). I explained it would be for a friend she had never met who had no toys and needed to learn about Jesus. I was so proud of her, she willingly picked out the items she liked to give away. I was amazed she didn't want to keep them for herself. Since she did such a great job I rewarded her with getting to pick out new hairclips to keep. She explained to her dad he was to "Take the box to Miss Ashley who would send it to her friend with no toys." Parenting is challenging(and I am sure the greatest challenges still lie ahead)...so I celebrate such a fun memory & teachable moment!