Processing OCC Shoeboxes

A Volunteering Roadtrip

The Quiz Team at the Shoebox Warehouse in Calgary

Yesterday a full van load of Bible Quizzers--with me jammed in pleasantly among them--pioneered the snowy roads to Calgary in the morning. Destination: the Canadian headquarters of Samaritan's Purse. A few hundred kilometres and several games of travel checkers later, our van pulled into the OCC (Operation Christmas Child) volunteer parking lot, where we met our team members who had convoyed down with us.

After watching the training video we were able to get to work carrying, inspecting, taping and numbering the boxes. This was my second time working at the warehouse, and it was just as fun as before. Being part of something like that--such an incredible cause--working together for God with so many other like-minded people is an experience that leaves you wishing it could last a lifetime.


And someday it will...

Here on earth, you get that sort of satisfaction when you're doing what God called you to do--what you're built for. When you're walking with Him and working with others He's called. It's a taste of something real, and a foreshadowing of the perfection to come: one day we will be unified in Christ, not just working towards the completion of God's will, but having been made complete. To be one with Christ and fully united together in Him with His disciples--that's the ultimate experience that we'll be wishing would last forever. Satisfyingly, it will.

Meanwhile, we continue to do the task set before us--in this case, processing shoeboxes. While we were at it, we had the privilege of reconnecting with some of the amazing OCC staff who had worked with us through Bike for God. The stories they tell about how they've witnessed God work through the shoebox program are incredible.

All too soon, however, the time came to say goodbye and hit the foggy highway back north. At that point, the three of us in the back seat were exceptionally tired. And thus, giddy. It made for a classic road trip moment, however, as we watched old Veggie Tales movies by smart phone and drew ridiculous doodles by flashlight in the dark back seat. Ah, but life is grand.