Morning thought 2 Tuesday, January 22
Those of you who have been following Mustard Seed Jersey for a while
will know that for us the Christmas Shoebox appeal is about more than shoeboxes. This
year we appealed for money to buy food, winter fuel and to pay for urgent
medical needs.
Years ago we asked ourselves what is the point of giving a child some
wonderful new toys and clothes if she or a family member dies in the new
year through starvation, or freezes to death. We felt challenged that we could
try to help avoid unnecessary suffering and death.
It was on our first full day in Romania this December that we went to a
large cash-and-carry. We used money raised in Jersey to purchase contents for
food parcels. Over the years I have learnt that the shopping for food parcels, packing
those food parcels and then distributing them is one of the most rewarding
things to do.
When you think about Christmas hampers that people give or get given
over here, there can be no doubt that the Mustard Seed food parcels were very very basic.
As I recall last month our food parcels contained flour, sugar, oil,
rice, pasta, couscous, margarine, seasoning, tin of pâté, teabags and then
because it was Christmas and we had enough money, we added a packet of biscuits
and a bar of chocolate.
Later that same day we carefully packed the contents into sturdy bags
that we had recycled from Jersey. So each beneficiary received
food and a waterproof bag they could use again.
It was Jesus - whose birth we celebrate at Christmas - who said “it is
more blessed to give than to receive”. We blessed those people who received the
food parcels and in that process we ourselves were blessed.