A Shoebox, A Testimony, and a God Who Wastes Nothing

Years ago, our children’s minister, Tammy, invited me to attend a meeting about Operation Christmas Child and the opportunity for our church to become a shoebox drop-off location. At the time, I was simply grateful to be there.

At that meeting, we met Shelli from the Atlanta regional office of Operation Christmas Child. I remember being so impressed by her. Her love for the Lord was evident, and the passion she had for reaching children with the Gospel through shoebox gifts was contagious.

I had packed shoeboxes before. I knew they would be delivered to children around the world, and I knew those children would hear the Gospel. But hearing about the ministry, I began to realize there was so much more happening behind the scenes than I had ever understood.

The ministry was intentional.

Every shoebox was prayed over.

Every volunteer mattered.

Every role was important.

Soon after, I heard from a former shoebox recipient named Alex. He was no longer a child, but he shared his testimony of receiving a shoebox and how God used that gift in his life.

As he spoke, I found myself standing in the back of the room, leaning against one of the columns.

It is funny how God sometimes uses what seems like an ordinary moment to change the direction of your life.

As Alex shared about the opportunity to serve as a year-round volunteer, something stirred inside me.

I cannot fully explain it.

It was excitement.

It was nervousness.

It was curiosity.

Most of all, it was a sense that God might be inviting me into something bigger than I had planned.

After much prayer and several conversations with Shelli, I felt God leading me to join the Operation Christmas Child prayer team.

Looking back, I honestly believe that was the perfect place for me to begin.

Prayer has always been a significant part of my testimony. Some of the most important moments of my life have been shaped through prayer, so serving on the prayer team felt like a natural fit.

What I did not realize was how much I would learn.

As I prayed for the ministry and became more involved, my understanding of Operation Christmas Child grew. I began to see that this ministry is far more than collecting shoeboxes.

It is about sharing the Gospel.

It is about discipleship.

It is about churches reaching communities.

It is about volunteers faithfully serving behind the scenes.

It is about children hearing that Jesus loves them.

The more I learned, the more my heart was drawn to the mission.

Not long afterward, God answered another prayer.

Pam became our Area Coordinator. For a season, we had been praying for someone to step into that role. Shelli did an incredible job supporting our area through the regional office, but having a local Area Coordinator brought something special to our team. Pam loves people well. She leads with kindness, humility, and a genuine heart for the Lord. She became an incredible encouragement to all of us.

During those years, I served on the prayer team under the leadership of Tanya, our Prayer Coordinator. Tanya was energetic, encouraging, fun-loving, and deeply committed to prayer. She had a way of making people feel valued and inspired. When Tanya eventually moved away, Pam and I began discussing the possibility of me serving as Prayer Coordinator.

One thing I have always appreciated about Operation Christmas Child is that positions are not simply filled because there is an opening.

There is prayer.

There is discernment.

There is a desire to see people serving where God is calling them to serve.

The goal is not to fill a position.

The goal is to follow God’s leading.

After much prayer, conversations, and training, I stepped into the role of Prayer Coordinator.

As Prayer Coordinator, I had the privilege of serving throughout what was then a seven-county area across West Alabama. It was one of the most rewarding seasons of ministry I have ever experienced.

I had the opportunity to drive all over the region, meeting incredible people, sharing about the ministry, praying with those who serve/pack, and encouraging churches and team members.

Every month our leadership team would gather together. We shared prayer requests, celebrated what God was doing, discussed challenges, and brainstormed ways to strengthen the ministry.

Church Relations connected with local churches.

Community Relations helped build awareness throughout the community.

Student Relations invested in the next generation.

The Logistics Team coordinated the movement of thousands of shoeboxes.

The Media Team helped tell the story of what God was doing.

Together, all of those pieces worked toward one mission: reaching children with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite parts of serving was attending Connect Conference each year. Those conferences were more than training events. They were opportunities to worship together, learn together, and hear stories of God’s faithfulness from around the country. Every few years, we were blessed to attend Global Connect, where leaders from receiving countries joined us and shared firsthand how God was using shoebox gifts around the world.

Those moments are difficult to put into words.

I remember sitting there thinking,

“We really get to do this.”

That phrase has appeared many times throughout my testimony.

Not because I deserved the opportunity.

Not because I was especially qualified.

But because God, in His kindness, allows ordinary people to participate in His work.

During Pam’s time as Area Coordinator, our entire family became involved in the ministry.

Chuck joined the team, first serving as Media Coordinator before later moving into the Logistics Coordinator role. Michael became part of the Student Relations Team, and while the girls were not yet old enough to serve in official positions, they were involved in everything we did. They helped set up events, participated whenever possible, and stayed afterward to help tear down.

Some of my favorite memories from those years are of serving together as a family.

What began with me saying yes to serving on the prayer team had grown into something that touched all of us. Operation Christmas Child was no longer simply a ministry I supported. It had become part of our family’s story.

A few years later, God began preparing me for another unexpected step.

Once again, through prayer, conversations, interviews, and training, He was calling me into a new role: Area Coordinator.

Throughout my life, leadership has always stood out to me, especially good leaders, people who genuinely cared about both the mission they were serving and the people they were leading.

As I stepped into the Area Coordinator role, I quickly realized how much I loved serving alongside others. Leadership was never about being in charge. It was about encouraging, equipping, and supporting people as they used the gifts God had given them.

As I stepped into the Area Coordinator role, it was such a beautiful experience. Our team continued to grow, and at one point we had around thirty-eight team members serving throughout the area. That growth was never because of me or any one person. It was the result of God working through faithful servants who were willing to say yes to His calling.

Each person brought unique gifts, talents, and experiences, and together we were able to accomplish far more than any of us could have done alone.

One of the things I appreciated most about Operation Christmas Child was the process they used when inviting people into leadership. While these positions are volunteer roles, there is intentionality behind them.

There are interviews.

There are conversations.

There is prayer.

There is discernment.

The goal is not simply to find someone willing to serve but to help people discover whether God is truly calling them to serve in that capacity.

I believe there is tremendous value in that process.

After my interview and as I continued through the process, it really confirmed what I had already felt in my heart. God used those conversations, questions, and steps to make it clear that this calling was real.

God can use anyone, anywhere, at any time. But there is something especially meaningful about finding the place where He has specifically called you to serve.

As for me, becoming an Area Coordinator involved extensive training. I spent time learning the responsibilities of each coordinator role across the team and gaining a deeper understanding of how every person contributed to the larger mission.

Thankfully, I had already served as a team member and coordinator before stepping into that role, but serving as Area Coordinator was still a completely different experience and one of the greatest blessings of my life.

One of the unique things about that season was that Chuck was serving on the team I was leading.

That felt a little strange at first.

After all, he is the man God gave to lead our family.

Yet God worked beautifully through that season.

Because of our roles, Operation Christmas Child became an ongoing conversation in our home. We talked about goals, events, opportunities, challenges, and ideas almost daily.

I do not know that I have ever told him this, but one of the things that meant the most to me was the way he supported God’s calling on my life.

He never made me feel uncomfortable serving in that role.

He simply encouraged me and trusted what God was doing.

That was a gift I did not take for granted.

One of the things I loved most about leading was watching people use gifts I did not have.

I remember one team member whose husband was a helicopter pilot. We were looking for creative ways to reach people in Eutaw, Alabama, and she suggested something I never would have thought of myself.

What if we used a helicopter?

Soon plans were underway.

People brought their shoeboxes to a field in Eutaw where the helicopter landed to collect them. The helicopter then transported those shoeboxes to the airport in Northport.

It created excitement.

It created memories.

Most importantly, it created opportunities to share about the mission.

That experience taught me something I have carried with me ever since.

Not everyone approaches a goal the same way.

Sometimes God places people around us who see solutions we would never see ourselves.

I never would have thought to use a helicopter.

But she did.

Leadership is often less about having the best ideas and more about recognizing good ideas when God brings them through someone else.

That lesson has served me well far beyond Operation Christmas Child.

As the years passed, our team continued to grow.

People were stepping into leadership.

Shoebox numbers were increasing.

Relationships were deepening.

Everything seemed to be moving in the right direction.

And that is exactly when God began stirring something in my heart.

For months, I sensed Him leading me toward a change I did not want.

I prayed.

I questioned.

I wrestled.

I tried to ignore it.

But the more I prayed, the more certain I became.

God was calling me out of a season I loved.

That was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

I loved the people.

I loved the mission.

I loved the ministry.

I loved watching team members grow in confidence and step into the roles God had prepared for them.

Many times I found tears in my eyes, not because I was sad, but because I was overwhelmed with joy watching God work through people I cared about.

Walking away from that was heartbreaking.

One thing that was especially difficult was not knowing who would come after me.

Succession matters.

Raising up leaders matters.

There was someone I thought would do an incredible job, but it simply was not the right season for that person.

That made leaving even harder.

Yet deep down, I knew the same thing I had known years earlier while standing in the back of that room listening to Alex.

The same God who had stirred my heart was already stirring someone else’s.

I just did not know who it was yet.

I remember making the call to Shelli.

My heart was broken.

We met at Panera along with my Regional Director, and I cried through much of the conversation.

I did not want to leave.

I remember telling them very clearly that I wanted the opportunity to speak with my team myself.

I needed them to know my heart.

I needed them to know this was not about disappointment, frustration, or burnout.

This was about obedience.

Even when obedience hurts.

After stepping away, I intentionally gave space for the new leadership to build relationships and connections with the team.

That was important.

But it was also difficult.

Chuck was still serving, attending meetings, and continuing the work.

I remember attending one meeting afterward.

Someone said something e serving Operation Christmas Child.

I do not even remember exactly what was said.

I just remember my heart breaking.

I had to walk out.

I had not fully grieved the end of that season yet.

The reason it was so difficult was simple.

We had become family.

And family matters deeply to me.

Even though my role ended, my prayers never did.

I still pray for the ministry.

I still pray for the leaders.

I still pray for those who serve.

I still pray for the children who will receive those shoeboxes.

The maps have changed.

The teams have grown.

New leaders have stepped forward.

And God continues to move.

God has shown me why He was leading me into a different season, but that is a story for another day.

The point of this story is much simpler.

Pack the shoebox.

Pray over the shoebox.

Trust God with the shoebox.

Because there is so much more happening than we can see.

When people hear stories from former shoebox recipients like Alex, they often think about the gift itself.

The toys.

The school supplies.

The special items packed with love.

Those things matter.

But the greatest gift is the Gospel.

Children hear about Jesus through local believers who have been trained, equipped, and called by God.

Lives are changed.

Families are changed.

Communities are changed.

And God wastes none of it.

I have heard multiple full-circle speakers over the years.

The details may be different, but the message is always the same.

The toys eventually wear out.

The gifts may be forgotten.

But the hope of Jesus remains.

And it does not only impact the child receiving the shoebox.

It impacts parents.

Siblings.

Grandparents.

Entire families.

When a child carries that shoebox home, people ask questions.

Where did this come from?

Who gave this to you?

Why would someone do this?

And because God never wastes a moment, He has already been preparing hearts to hear the answer.

Recently, I saw that Alex was scheduled to speak again.

The moment I saw his name, my heart felt full.

Full because of how God continues to use his story.

Full because of the team that I still love dearly.

Full because it reminded me once again that God does not waste a single moment.

Years ago, God used Alex’s testimony to stir something in my heart while I stood in the back of a room leaning against a column.

That moment led to years of ministry, friendships that became family, opportunities I never imagined, lessons that shaped my life, and a deeper understanding of how God works through ordinary people who simply say yes.

One testimony.

One shoebox.

One child.

One willing volunteer.

God uses all of it.

So if you ever have the opportunity to hear a shoebox recipient share their testimony, go.

Hear what God can do through a simple gift packed with love and prayer.

And when shoebox season comes around, pack one.

Pack two.

Pack as many as God places on your heart.

Because somewhere in the world, a child may open that box and hear about Jesus for the very first time.

God used Alex’s story to encourage me to say yes.

Who knows whose story He might use next?

One of the greatest gifts our family experienced through Operation Christmas Child came years later when my daughter, Michelle had the opportunity to go on a shoebox distribution trip to the Philippines.

As a parent, it is one thing to serve in a ministry yourself.

It is another thing entirely to watch your child experience it firsthand.

She had the opportunity to meet children, participate in distributions, and see with her own eyes what happens when a shoebox reaches its destination. The stories she brought home were a gift not only to our family but to our entire area. Over time, she shared about her experience at more than forty churches, events, and gatherings throughout West Alabama.

People who had packed shoeboxes for years were able to hear firsthand how God was using those gifts around the world.

She reminded us that every shoebox represents a child.

Every child represents a family.

And every family represents an opportunity for someone to hear the hope of Jesus.

Watching her share those stories was one of those moments when I found myself thinking once again,

“We really get to do this.”

What began years earlier with me standing in the back of a room listening to Alex’s testimony had now become part of my daughter’s testimony as well.

Only God could write a story like that.

He doesn't waste moment!

“We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 2:10