Show Me!

Towards the end of the musical My Fair Lady, Eliza's anger erupts at lovesick Freddy. The poor man fell in love with Eliza the moment he met her and wrote her two to three letters a day trying to prove that love. Eliza exclaims to Freddy:

"Words! Words! I'm so sick of words! I get words all day through . . .Don't talk of stars burning above; if you're in love, show me! Tell me no dreams filled with desire; if you're on fire, show me! Here we are together in the middle of the night! Don't talk of spring! Just hold me tight! Anyone who's ever been in love'll tell you this is no time for a chat!"

Do you ever think the Lord gets sick of our words? Our words declaring our love for Him and the spoken promise to do whatever He calls us to do? Do you think He'd rather simply seeing us actually do what He has called us to do?

"'Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?'" - Isaiah 58:6-7 

"'I hate, I reject your festivals, nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps. But let justice roll down like the waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.'" - Amos 5:21-24

And what about those He has called to us to care for and to show His love? Do mere words help them at all?

"But whoever has the world's goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart to him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." - 1 John 3:17-18

It's one of my favorite times of year: Operation Christmas Child season. What an incredible way to share the love of Jesus Christ. By filling a shoe box with school supplies, coloring books and crayons, hygiene items, toys, stuffed animals and other goodies, a child not only receives a wonderful material gift. They receive the message of Jesus' immeasurable love for them. This past week, I received a newsletter from Samaritan's Purse, the parent organization of Operation Christmas Child. I was once again profoundly blessed as I read about the impact the shoe boxes and the Gospel has had on children's lives around the world. Check out these numbers dealing with the country of Haiti:

• Last year, 286,000 shoe boxes were given to children in Haiti. Praise God!
• Last year was the first year Samaritan's Purse offered The Greatest Journey (a 12-week Bible study; upon completion, children receive their very own copy of the New Testament) in Haiti. So far, 60,000 boys and girls have completed the lessons and received a New Testament in Creole. Of those, 27,000 have made first-time commitments to Jesus Christ! Praise God!!!
• One of Samaritan's Purses' church partners in Haiti began handing out shoe box gifts in the mountains, in a town where there was no evangelical church. Now, there is! There is a growing congregation with 250 children enrolled in The Greatest Journey. Praise God! 

You still have time to pack a shoe box and share the love of Jesus with children around the globe. November 14-21 is the National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child. For more information, go to: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/. What an incredible opportunity we as believers have to not just say that we love Jesus or love others -- but to show them!