Family Fun Friday: Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

I wrote it on the calendar a week ahead of time. And I’m glad I did because it kept me focused and committed.

Then, taking Sally Clarkson’s advice, I talked it up all week, “This Friday, we’re going to prepare our shoebox and make cards for a little girl who lives far away, and who might not get many presents this Christmas!”

The girls caught my excitement.

We talked about how something as small as a shoebox could open one little girl’s heart to God’s love.

When Friday rolled around, we met Ryan after work at The Dollar Store.

As a family, we strolled through the aisles and found the perfect goodies for one little girl. Pink bubbles, princess pencils, hair bows, colorful notebooks, and a can of Vienna Sausages.

(A can of Vienna Sausages? Yup! A missionary friend told us that a little can of processed meat is like gold in a shoebox. “Spam is like a feast!” she had said. We added an extra can to our basket so that we could know what one little girl’s Christmas feast might be like.)

After dinner, we dusted off a Christmas Album in our iTunes library (not to be played again until after Thanksgiving, mind you, but this was a special occasion).

With carols playing in the background, the girls packed the shoebox. Rather, they just plopped things in the shoebox.

Over which, I confess, I got a little controlling. I hope I didn’t say it out-loud, but I was definitely thinking “You can’t just TOSS things into an OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOX! Does this experience mean NOTHING to you?! THIS IS MY FAMILY FUN NIGHT AND I WANT THESE THINGS TO GO IN THE BOX A CERTAIN WAY AND YOU’RE MESSING IT ALL UP! You’re supposed to be angelic and slow and make a good photo shoot! You’re supposed to cry and meditate on how GREAT IT IS TO BE GIVING THESE THINGS TO SOMEONE ELSE!!!” Whew. Yes, that was alarming. I made myself cool down after that.

And I’m glad I did, because the best part was to come.

We created cards together out of construction paper, glue, beads, and cotton balls. Daddy and Vivi, Mommy and Lia, working together to bless one little girl with the best artwork we could muster.

It’s rare that all four of us sit down and work on a project like that together, sketching out shapes, and dropping glue blobs onto paper. It was very sweet.

And simple.

And holy.

As we tucked the girls into bed that night, I said to each precious person in my family, “You are so much fun to be with! Thank you. That was a fun night.” And I meant it.

(Interested in planning an Operation Christmas Child Night for your family? Carissa at Totally Tots provides all the “how to’s” you need to know. Check it out!)

Of course, I’m just itchin’ to know what you did for your Family Fun Night!

Extravagant or humble, we all want to know.. how’d it go??

Link up below or leave a comment. (Of course, you can link to something you’ve enjoyed in the past. I promise, I won’t get controlling on you…)