In This Box . . .

There is a multitude of stories wrapped up inside the shoe boxes we saw today on the altar. The "we" is a group of eight of us who were headed to D'iberville, Mississippi for a week-long mission trip (we arrived this evening).

That is part of our story, my story.

 The shoe boxes on the altar were at the Friendship United Methodist Church in Athens, Alabama where we spent the night on our trip down here. Each box was packed with gifts specific for a child of a certain age.

The stories started with the parishioners who selected the gifts and lovingly wrapped them in the shoebox. The boxes will be shipped overseas to Russia to children in need. Prayers are that each box will be matched to the right child. Most important, the Friendship UMC congregation prays the story doesn't end there.

Their prayer is that each child who receives a box will come to know Christ . . . Just as His love filled each box when they were packed. It was a pretty powerful story to hear this morning as we began our team's mission in Mississippi.

There is still work to be done six years after Hurricane Katrina. God is using our team in His story. This also is part of my story.

What is your story?

 God is good.