A Gift of Love
Staring at the beautifully wrapped gift made her heart sing. Why would someone give her such a thoughtful gift? The moment seemed too big… she was unsure whether she should open it.
Suspended in time; it felt like she was the only person in the world.
It was love in a box. Have you ever tried putting love in a box? It is not easy, since it keeps popping out. It continues to pour over the sides of the box. Keeping a lid on a box of love is almost impossible. I have found that a lacky band helps.
But why? Why would someone put love in a box and send it across the world to find her in her small corner of planet Earth? Or has Love come down from Heaven?
Last year my Secret Santa buddy blessed me with the most beautiful box filled with gifts. I was completely overwhelmed by the gesture and experienced just a glimpse of what it would be like for a child in need to receive such a precious gift. This year, I had the absolute privilege and blessing to travel to South Africa with Operation Christmas Child to hand out beautiful boxes of love to needy children. Knowing the love that has been poured into the boxes, the careful selection of items, and heartfelt prayers from individuals and families packing boxes to being able to hand these special gifts to those children have been life changing.
The greatest gift, however, was to introduce them to the love of Christ. Love that came down from Heaven. People have tried to box this Love too. But it keeps spilling over; it cannot be contained. Once you have experienced the love of Christ, you cannot help but share it with others. You cannot keep a lid on His love, not even with a lacky band. May this gift, the love of God, pour out and fill this world, unto the ends of the earth.
For more information about the incredible work of Operation Christmas Child and to find out how you can get involved, please visit their website: https://occ.samaritanspurse.org.au/
Lilian Pretorius | Executive Assistant to Heads of School
