Memories and a Prayer

As I'm starting to write this post I'm also listening to Charles Stanley on the TV and he just said, "Everything you need God will provide."  Such a simple but profound truth.

I have not left my house for the past three days.  The wind chill has been subzero so I've hunkered down and spent some time (well, lots of time) sorting and organizing years of Operation Christmas Child files and folders and binders.

I've always been easily distractible when I clean and organization is difficult for me because it involves making decisions about each item which I hate.  These days have been no exception as I've spent time reading agendas from team meetings in the past, notes from conference sessions I've attended, and old training manuals.

I just had to save my first training manual from 2003.  Sometimes it's too hard to let go.

Okay, Charles just said, "We should be thinking God's thoughts."  Another truth.   And I've spent a lot of time over these past days remembering how God's thoughts have been over this Operation Christmas Child project since its very beginning.

I also remembered some of MY thoughts along this journey--times of feeling overwhelmed with discouragement along with times of feeling overwhelmed by God's goodness.

My thoughts have vacillated over these months and years but God's never have.

His heart for the children around the world stays firmly loving and He has given us the privilege to share His love in these simple gifts.  This is His project, and, as Charles said, God will provide.

I found this prayer I wrote a few years ago for my team as we started a new year and I thought I'd share it here because it was a good memory--

God, as we look at what you did last year for OCC we realize what a God-thing it was.  Do we have the audacity to ask for more this year?  But we are greedy, Father, for more--more of You and more shoe boxes for Your glory.  We feel as though we have fewer resources than last year but Your resources are unlimited.  God, what is Your goal for this year?  You said, "Ask and you shall receive."  And, so, we ask, God.  We come to You importunately and we beg for more.  Let us see Your glory again.  Let us see You do what only You can do.  We don't want to be afraid of not having enough--money, help, space, stuff.  We want to be courageous and run to the goal--toward Your goal.  Do it again, God. More.  Bigger.  Pressed down, shaken together and running over.  Show us Your glory--in us and through us.  We decry discouragement.  We fall on Your strength to haul boxes and wrap and shop and pack and carry and stack and make calls and speak for You.  God, we are nothing unless You are our vision and our strong tower and our goal.
      You, God.  Only You.  Ever and always.  Amen.