Colds and coal

I'm battling a scratchy throat, stuffy nose, Lauren Bacall voice cold right now. I know it's from being in a plane for 1 1/2 hours with sick little kids and their parents just wanting to get home. Something about recycled air does that to us.

Feeling like yuck, the scheduled trip to Operation Christmas Child came on December 1. I drove a van full of mature adult volunteers who were just ready to serve.

I had never been to the OCC center before. Let me tell you it's a very well-oiled machine. I know it took them years to get to this point...but with hundreds of thousands of boxes coming through just the center in Charlotte, hundreds of volunteers coming daily...they had to get it working properly and quick!

We were told that the shoe boxes we were going through were going to Muslim nations. It's the first time the Muslim nations have allowed OCC to send toys, games, etc to their children. We had to be sure NO pigs, no mention of God and no American flags were in any of the boxes.

Who knew there would be so many PIGS????

I was the taper. After the individual boxes were inspected I got to tape them. Realizing that my hands were the last to touch the box before the child opened it was more emotional than I could stand.

Some child in a country that is being taught to HATE Christians was going to open this box. What is that child going to feel about "Americans" when he or she opens it and hugs the little stuffed dog... colors in the coloring book...combs his or her hair with a brand new brush... brushes his or her teeth with a new toothbrush and toothpaste? What emotions will that bring.

Romans 12:20 says "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

So in my small way, I was heaping burning coals on a child who is being filled with hate. Giving hot coals is not bad. Actually-many years ago, a wonderful teacher, Dr. Larry Slay, told our class what this really meant.

The worst thing that could happen to a family in the bible days, was that their fire would go out in their fireplace. They didn't have matches...so re-starting the fire was a major ordeal. When a family's fire would go out, their neighbor would carry a live-hot piece of coal on top of their head on the carrier they used and bring it to their neighbor... therefore giving them a hot coal of friendship.

I've carried that word picture with me for all these years. Whether a neighbor, friend or a stranger, we are to give hot coals to those whose fires have gone out. We are called to carry the fire to everyone.

I did a little part of that by taping shoeboxes, headed to the enemy of my faith.

God bless them everyone.