Be a Christmas Blessing

Bible Truths to Share with Your Kids

“Entering the house where the baby and Mary his mother were, they threw themselves down before him, worshipping.  Then they opened their presents and gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh.”  Matthew 3: 11 [The Living Bible]

It’s not too early to be a Christmas Blessing.  I just received my first notice about Operations Christmas Child with Samaritan’s Purse in the mail.

 More than two thousand years ago the Magi came from the East bearing gifts for the new King.  Tradition says they travelled many, many miles by camel. They brought valuable gifts to honor the Messiah.  They gave what they had; gold, myrrh and frankincense. Obviously they were wealthy so they gave of their wealth.

We too are wealthy.  We in North America have so much compared to Third world countries.  A lot of the people in the poor countries do not even have clean water or enough food to eat.  Kids go to bed hungry not knowing if they will get even a crust of bread tomorrow.

 Like the Magi presented gifts to Jesus we also can present gifts to Jesus this Christmas season.  We don’t have to travel by camel or even plane to deliver them.  We only need to pack up a shoebox and pack it with toys. Collection week for Operation Christmas Child begins November 24th to 29th.  It’s easy to contribute.  The media presents the details to us as the date approaches.

 As you have fun scourging the dollar stores and your kids find toys to fill one or several shoe boxes remember the Magi. Just as they lay down their gifts at Jesus feet we too worship with them as we lay our shoe boxes filled with toys and the things that bless the needy children around the world on the pile of shoe boxes accumulating in our neighborhood. The Bible says that as we give to those in need we are giving to Jesus.
I was so intrigued with the Magi of long ago travelling for miles and miles possibly on camels that I began to do some research on them.  I wondered what was it like for them.  What was it like for the camels?  Surely it must have made a phenomenal impact on their lives.

Out of this research a story was born in my heart.  The story I called A Christmas Present for Goliath;  the fictional story for kids 3 – 8 of a young female camel who had the honor of carrying the precious gifts of the Magi to Jesus and how that event changed her life and her master’s life forever.