It's November!

It's November! In two weeks we'll be in the thick of National Collection Week. It always kind of sneaks up on me. As I told Lisa, my regional manager, yesterday on our phone call, "Every November I think--okay, we just need to get through National Collection Week and then next year we'll try to do it better."  Then before I know it we're at the NEXT November and I'm saying the same thing.

I'm a perfectionist by nature. I think my desire to want to do it RIGHT is rooted in pride. I'm praying through that.  The bar is set pretty crazy high in our Operation Christmas Child world with lots of 'things' to work on--encouraging $9 shipping donation for each box; encouraging better quality boxes that are a 'regular size' (not too big and not too small and well-filled); recruiting more drop-off sites; getting those drop-off sites to be missional (with stuff like decorations and refreshments and games and...all while basically LOVING each person who brings in a box AND keeping an accurate count of boxes and getting as many as possible in a carton and loading trucks safely with enough volunteers.

Not to mention recruiting volunteers and equipping them and developing them and leading them. Working to develop team unity (in-here goals) while prayerfully harvesting as many shoeboxes (aka Gospel Opportunities or out-there goals) as possible.

It's a lot.

When I think of it all sometimes I get overwhelmed. Maybe I shouldn't admit that. The big question is: Is God calling me to do this?  Because if He is then He will always make a way. He promises to "equip (me) for every good thing to do His will, working in (me) that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ." (Hebrews 13:21 ASV)

I was challenged to pray through that question this week and I am asking Him to make me willing to be obedient whatever the answer.

Because...it's November!