Humble, ordinary shoeboxes. Cardboard throwaways. They clutter up closets or hold assorted souvenirs and junk. How is it, then, by virtue of a Christmas miracle, that these same lowly shoeboxes can be transformed into glittering treasure chests that delight a child's heart and tell the timeless story of God's eternal love?

Sound like a fairytale?

But it's not, insists Bonnie Freeman, Great Lakes Region senior director for Samaritan's Purse/Operation Christmas Child. She and the national leadership team can back her claims through the thousands of sweet, poignant stories that trickle back from missionaries and national pastors who witness this marvel over and over again.

The miracle begins so very simply. A lowly shoebox is packed with new toys, hard candies, school supplies, and hygiene items for either a boy or girl of a particular age group.

"There is no actual dollar amount," said Freeman. "Boxes can be filled for a minimal amount of money. Some people go to the dollar store. Some people get real fancy."

Freeman said that when she fills boxes, she always includes certain key items such as flip-flops because some of the kids don't have shoes and never have had them. She also adds a plastic cup because some of the kids go to feeding stations and they don't have eating utensils.

But beyond toys and flip-flops, as Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse/Operation Christmas Child said, "The most important item you can put in that box is your prayers."

Freeman echoes that, emphasizing that children, perhaps, understand that concept better than adults. About this time last year, says Freeman, a seven-year-old girl in Washington State while helping her mother pack Operation Christmas Child knelt and prayed over each box, reminding Jesus to be sure to get the right box to the right child. Kids know how important that is.