Boxing Day

Molly — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:08:53 +0000

Good news: Fowler Drive Elementary School is moving to a new building! Bad news: they only have ONE week to get the entire school packed and completely moved out and ONE week to move to the new location and unpack. Fortunately a local Athens church, Compass, has stepped in to help make this overwhelming move possible.
Today I accompanied Andy, my friend and Compass’ student pastor, to Fowler Drive Elementary School. I entered cautiously (due to yesterday’s trampling experience in Colbert’s halls) but much to my surprise the halls had no one less than five feet tall. Instead I was greeted by Wesley, a pastor at Compass, and some other volunteers who were awaiting their job assignments. After important information and specific details were covered it was time for the first task: delivering boxes to the library so all the books could be packed. That job was tackled faster than it was given. But then we were sent to room 305 to do whatever they needed help with.
Since I’m directionally challenged, Andy navigated the way to the classroom. As we walked toward the mysterious 305, I recognized every turn, every hallway, until finally we arrived. It was the dusty, stuffy, underground, library that we had just left. After standing around, bewildered, in the library for about five minutes three more volunteers trickled in and one came bearing directions. We were to pack up the library (yes, the ENTIRE library) into the cardboard boxes Andy and I had just delivered.
The organized, yet maddening, packing began: top of shelves to bottom, always emptying left to right; pack boxes to the brim, but not too full. In sharpie, number the box in order it came off shelf, and record the room number. The five of us worked quickly in an assembly line. But with the help of two extra people, a lady and her 1^st grade son, the work went from quick to lightening fast. I never knew packing boxes with five complete strangers (plus Andy) could be so fun…
…or so rewarding. Around box number 260 a 4^thgrade teacher came by. With teary eyes and a lump in her throat, she thanked us for all we were doing, and were going to do, and told us we had no idea how much it meant to the school – staff and students, alike. What she doesn’t realize is what the experience has given me: Boxing Day.
In many parts of the world, December 26^th is recognized as “Boxing Day.” Originally this holiday was celebrated by giving money and other gifts to the needy or those in service positions. While America does not recognize Boxing Day as an official national holiday, Compass Church (in a sense) does – and I have two cardboard cuts, six paper cuts, and 378 sharpie marked boxes to prove it.
I feel like Boxing Day was given to me by that teacher, and teachers like her, for a reason. I was taught through those countless boxes that I should not limit my giving to a day, nor a season.

And to think, all those boxes allowed it all to happen.

Zero Drummers Drumming

Molly — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 16:44:04 +0000

Every church in America seems to have one thing in common: that elderly lady that, despite her age, gets a lot of things accomplished and does so with a smile. As for my church, it is no different. We have Mrs. Helen, the sweet and spunky go-getter who leads the “Good News Club” at a local elementary school.
Yesterday, Mrs. Helen approached me after church and gave me one of her famous hugs. During that warm embrace she asked me to join her *Good News Club team. Given that Mrs. Helen asked me, I was honored! So today, I traveled to Colbert Elementary School to serve alongside Mrs. Helen and 13 other senior adults.
At precisely 2:45 this afternoon I thought I had made a mistake. The bell had just released students from their classrooms and the halls were full of havoc. After fighting the flow of traffic (while wearing heels) for the longest eight minutes ever, I saw safety dressed in Christmas attire. There was Mrs. Helen smiling and motioning me into her classroom, or as I saw it, her “safe haven.” Upon entering the classroom I saw fourteen rambunctious fifth graders. They had excitement in their eyes which could be attributed to the impending excitement; today, they were celebrating Christmas with pizza, chocolate chip cookies, miniature Cokes, and a VeggieTales movie.
The party started the minute the play button was pressed. As they eagerly watched VeggieTales, Mrs. Helen, Mrs. Reba, and I passed out the goodies. When the movie ended Mrs. Helen went to the front and discussed the importance of Christmas and having Christ and then introduced a ‘special guest,’ Molly, who was going to share her testimony. Shocked, I went to the front and did my thing. Then it was over. They left the classroom smiling, with a Christmas bag in hand, headed towards their home fronts.
I guess this is where I should say something profound like “all 14 kids were saved” or “it was the best/worst experience ever” but all I can think of is how there are only 12 days until Christmas. Usually this day is exciting because it starts my official countdown. But today, I traded my drumming drummers for 28 people – 14 volunteers, and 14 (out of 94 present) students. All that being said, here’s my drum-less tribute to those senior adults who lead with love but without recognition, to the teachers who offer their classrooms to messy students, to the parents who allow the children to stay, and to the students who are eager to learn more about Christ thanks to their “Favorite Half Grandmas.”
I didn’t miss my drumming drummers today. Not even one bit.

bag of goodies from the festivities

*Good News Club is a volunteer-based discipleship program sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship. It’s goal is “to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living.”

Daily Doses

Boxing Day

Zero Drummers Drumming