Packed With Love

 Have you ever packed a suitcase or container so full that when you opened it the contents inside spilled out? You might have forgotten you put something inside it or you realize you forgot to pack something very important to you. A lot can fit in a box or container when we pack it a certain way! This season brings packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, which I absolutely love volunteering with💗. One of my good friends leads the local organization of Operation Christmas Child in which we pack shoeboxes to send to kids around the world filled with hygiene items, school supplies, shoes, clothes and toys. My friends is always encouraging us to pack the shoebox as full as we can😊. Now, there are shoeboxes of all different sizes. However, you would be surprised at how many items can fit in a shoebox!! When I'm packing shoeboxes, I'm mindful of what age I'm packing for and certain items to place in the shoebox. I'm always mindful to at least put something fun, something they can wear, school supplies, and a stuffed animal in the box 😊. Not only are we sending various items, but we're sharing the gospel of Jesus and God's love when we send the shoeboxes 💝. Lots of love is packed into those boxes! In thinking about packing shoeboxes, I started thinking about what we're packing in our lives and in our heart in particular. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." We have to watch carefully what we're packing (storing if you will) in our hearts. Are we packing good things or bad things in our hearts? Are we holding on to something we don't need? Are we able to make room for new things? In Isaiah 43:19, God says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Have we packed things in our heart we forgot about? We have a lot going on around us each day. It's up to us to decide what we take on and carry. Everything is not ours to carry. What's in our hearts will spill out in our attitudes, words, and actions. All we have to do is watch the fruit- it's evident (Matthew 7:18-20). Let's be mindful to do a heart check daily 💗. Of course, we want to do all we can to keep our physical heart healthy, but spiritually, we need to make sure that good things are stored up in our heart. Let's make sure we are spilling out love, kindness, truth, and gratefulness in our lives and in interactions with those around us. When we have wrong things in our hearts, let's ask God to help us work through it and get to the root of it, so we can get rid of it. It's not as easy as removing an item from a suitcase or a shoebox, but it's a process and recognizing the need is an important step. Some days, moments, and seasons even can get be overwhelming for us, but it's in those moments we still have to take a deep breath, unpack what's going on, and take one step at a time. Just this past weekend, one of my cousins and I were talking about my Mom, and she was saying how she missed her and the laughs they used to have together. I said I miss that too! Then, she said it's good to hold on to the good memories. Now, that's a good thing to hold on to 😊. However, complaining, pride, unforgiveness, bitterness, and jealousy should be worked through and not held on to. We should always pray and ask God to help us through it. So, as we're packing shoeboxes, suitcases, and containers in the days and weeks ahead, let's remember to be intentional and careful about what we're packing. Let's also remember to pack good things in our heart, so love can spill out 💗. Remember you are loved. Keep loving you through everything. I love you and God bless you!!