For some reason the box becomes more a part of our lives as we grow older. A kid can build a spaceship out of a piece of cardboard, but all an adult can do is talk about why you cannot build a spaceship out of a piece of cardboard.
Five year-old Drew Friend of Cincinnati is a no box kind of guy. As his birthday approached, his mom asked him what he wanted. Think about how he may have answered. By now there is probably a version of really slick iPhone or at least an iPod for a 5 year old, or an X-box or some other cool gadget. How about a hot new bike or an official major league baseball glove? For a kid his age, the list could go on and on. But Drew had a most unusual answer. He told his mom that he wanted nothing! He said he was happy with the toys he already had and maybe some other kids needed the gifts more than he did.
Rather than take him to the hospital for a brain scan to detect his abnormal behavior, Drew's mother Shannon shared his comments with the congregation at their church. The church found a family and the rest is history. As you might expect, as word got out, Drew received a boatload of presents from family, friends and other generous contributors. And he gave them all away. In fact 5 families benefited from Drew's selfless display of generosity and caring. And they received more than games and toys. Clothes, towels, money, even bunk beds were all types of gifts that Drew passed on.
There is a box that says kids deserve to be spoiled on their birthdays with wonderful gifts. For some, there is even a box that says make sure you get your kid something cooler than all the other kids. (Oh, the crazy ways we sometimes choose to compete!) But little Drew has not yet become trapped in the box, so he asked for something that, as he said, "would make a good feeling in my heart."
I would not be surprised to see Drew's example become the cornerstone of a new and different avenue for helping people in need. Others, kids and adults, will choose to follow in his footsteps of giving. Like a growth leader, he has challenged conventional wisdom and created something new, which will no doubt benefit many. One never knows what will result by saying no to the box, even the birthday box.
Drew did receive something special, in case you are wondering. He got to help deliver all of the presents to the families. Oh yes, and the lead delivery vehicle just happened to be a fire truck from the local fire department, with Drew riding shotgun. Imagine that as a 5 year-old!
Ironic isn't it, that if Drew would have originally asked to ride on a fire truck, he would have likely gotten a polite response about the impossibility of that request, or at best, a trip down to the firehouse to climb on the back of a truck.
It is a wide-open world when you are not confined in the box. Way to go, Drew.
Steve
