As a high school life group leader, a question that I am often asked is, “How do you know God is real?” One of my favorite examples to share is the time when God pulled me up from the pit of despair and revealed that I have purpose in him. I was a stay-at-home mom who had somehow reached rock bottom, feeling very inadequate and suffering very low self-esteem. To be totally honest, there were times when I truly believed that my family would be better off without me.
During that low, I saw an advertisement for Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, which delivers shoe box gifts along with the Gospel to children living in desperate situations all over the world. A quiet voice urged me to get involved, and I spoke to my minister who allowed me to involve our congregation as well.
After a couple of years of driving our gifts 2 ½ hours to the nearest drop-off, I heard that same quiet voice asking me to do something bigger—to start a new drop-off point and collect shoe boxes from other churches in our area. This is something that I never would have thought to do on my own. I didn’t even know anyone outside our church who participated in this project. The task seemed impossible for a nobody with no contacts, but the voice wouldn’t leave me alone. Because I had never entertained the idea that God might speak to me, I prayed, “God, I don’t know if this is you, but these thoughts are not going away. I have no idea how to do this, but if this is really you, I will do what you ask.”
Over the next several months, I watched in amazement. It became obvious that God had been working on many other hearts; he just needed someone to get everyone together. God built a team, as over and over I’d choose a nearby town not knowing who to call, and he would quickly connect me with others who shared the passion for reaching these kids. Time and again, I’d visit a church to promote the project, and they excitedly agreed to come on board. It was amazing!
My life found deeper meaning the year of 2001 as I witnessed God orchestrate a drop-off where more than 4,300 shoe box gifts were collected in the first year. Through the promotion of the project, he blessed thousands of people in our area (most of which had never heard of the project) by giving them a way to make an eternal impact on more than 4300 lives that lived thousands of miles away. He also taught this simple-minded, socially awkward “nobody,” that he will equip me for whatever he asks me to do. When God called me to become involved in his work, I ignorantly thought that I was agreeing to “help God out.” I didn’t understand at the time that it was GOD helping out ME. He worked through me to do things that I never could have done on my own. He showed me that even though I thought I was worthless, I am worth something to Him. God is real!
Knowing that God is real gives us hope, and sharing our experiences with others can give them hope too. During Advent take time to tell others about how God has been real to you. Ask God to open your eyes to how he might bless someone and show them his love through you.
