She is a petite woman who wears the cutest shoes, so how did she come to share about Jesus with a big rig truck driver? Linda Cooper, national WMU president, tells the most amazing stories about opportunities she has had in sharing the gospel with others. Once on a flight home from an overseas missions trip, a refugee family sat next to her on the plane. They were coming to the United States to be resettled. Though they spoke no English, by the end of the flight Linda had befriended them and they understood that she knew Jesus. Another time as she parked her car and started into the dental office where she works as a dental hygienist, she noticed a semi-truck was broken down in the parking lot. She spoke to the driver to offer help, though she did not know what she could possibly do to help out. Through their conversations that day, she shared the gospel with the driver and told him about Jesus’ love.

One evening as I pulled into the church parking lot on my way to teach Mission Friends, I prayed, “Lord, Help me to just love our preschoolers tonight. Help them to see Your love in me.” I always want my preschoolers to enjoy learning about missions. I prepare for the sessions in Mission Friends and choose activities from Mission Friends Leader that I think will be just right for my preschoolers. I tote some supplies from home and gather other materials at church. We have a good time learning about missions through the activities and stories. But on that night I was convicted that all of it was for naught if the preschoolers didn’t experience God’s love in our Mission Friends sessions.

One of the big milestones in a preschoolers’ life is when he takes his first steps. We will even ask a parent, “Has he learned to walk yet?” We bend down, hold out our hands, and urge the little one to step toward us. Sometimes we stand behind him and hold his hands so he can step toward others. Learning to take those steps is important as preschoolers grow physically.

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).

As Christmas draws near, we are reminded of the greatness of God’s love for us. The above verse is not typically known as a Christmas verse. It does not refer to a Bethlehem stable, shepherds on a hillside, or wise men who saw the star. The verse does not speak of an innkeeper, swaddling cloths, or a manger. The verse does encompass the very meaning of Christmas in that God loved us so much that he sent his Son. Christmas is a time for us to celebrate the coming of Christ into the world and God’s love for each of us. We rejoice at this time of year as we are reminded of His love and the eternal life that we have through Christ.