MORNING THOUGHT
Smiles and tears - that
often sums up the response from people receiving Christmas shoeboxes. Smiles
from ear to ear from the children and often tears of joy and gratitude from the
pensioners. Sometimes tears of relief as the mothers and fathers see food in
their food parcel. Food parcels, Christmas shoeboxes for pensioners, Christmas
shoeboxes for children. This year Mustard Seed plans to send Christmas
shoeboxes and to buy food parcels for the neediest in the Bihor
Last year one of the
Romanian social workers reported about a needy family “They had no firewood left and as temperatures
went lower they faced freezing to death as they had to choose whether to buy
fuel for heat or food. The mother hardly ever ate – giving what she had to the
children, she is so thin. That food parcel from
Another of the social workers said “The pensioner wept with joy on receiving the things from her box. She said she’s never had
such good things in all her life. …. They are all so very happy and thankful for what you sent.”
And one of the volunteers
from Jersey kept a diary “We went to
schools and gave out hundreds of Christmas shoeboxes – we saw the excitement in
the children’s eyes as they knew what it was all about, their eagerness to get
their hands on their precious box; their eyes said Thank you even if their lips
forgot. My most powerful memory is of giving out Christmas shoeboxes to a little
family of 4 children in a village, the children had been ill so could not
attend the school celebration. They had never had Christmas shoeboxes before.
They could only heat one room and lived in that one room in the winter, it was
very crowded with us in there as well. The children had such big eyes, so solemn, they really did not know what to expect with the
shoeboxes we gave each one of them. We had to show them how to open them and
take the things out. They really could not comprehend that they could keep
them. One of the children began eating the sweets but ate them with the paper
on till we showed him what to do. The mother showed no emotion – I think she
was maybe embarrassed that strangers were giving her children the presents that
she could not afford to give and that she could give us nothing in return. But
she saw the food in her own parcel then she wept. And I think all of us in that
little house were either crying or near to tears”.
It is amazing that today in
the 21st century in a country in the EU there is still so much need
among the poorest of the poor. And of course it is not just
Mother Teresa said “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do
small things with great love”. And she also said “Let us not be satisfied with just giving
money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love
them. So, spread your love everywhere you go”.
I believe that in
packing a Christmas shoebox with love, care and prayer you do have an
opportunity to spread love and to do a small thing with great love. So please
think about it as you start your day. God bless you.
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