Large Gifts Come in Small Packages
It’s a special day in early December and the third grade students are busy searching their bedrooms for unopened pizza parlor gifts, fast food giveaways, birthday party goodie, and unused knick-knacks from their desks. Their teacher reminded them yesterday that it’s Shoebox 2 Share time.
The kids are encouraged to bring in a shoebox along with some of their own trinkets to fill the box to overflowing. Each year they do not disappoint. Their little hearts go above and beyond the call of duty and they haul to school enough toys to fill several shoeboxes. Piles of toy cars, puffball magnets, tiny dolls, spinning tops and much more accumulate on the classroom floor. It is a colorful buffet of fun. From this pile, each student creates a very special shoebox. A gift to a child they don’t even know.
Today is assembly day. The kids squirm with excitement. Volunteer parents have organized the smorgasbord. Each student begins to walk methodically around the piles of treats, pondering, considering, and then choosing specific toys they, of course, would like to receive. 
Finally when the shoebox is full of tiny treasures, the teacher sits down with the students. He tells them how proud he is of their generosity. He encourages the third graders to continue with their selflessness throughout their life. He then animates the story of how the child who receives their shoebox will likely wake on Christmas day with very few gifts. Perhaps nothing at all, except the shoebox you made today.
A shy blonde girl from the back of the room sheepishly raises her hand and asks innocently, “Why doesn’t Santa remember this child?” The wise teacher, carefully treading public school doctrine, explains that the world is big and Santa works hard to reach every child, but sometimes he can’t get to everyone. This seems to satisfy the little girl, and certainly the thoughts of more in the room. The teacher then explains how God uses people, even kids in the third grade, to be a light in the world. When you share this shoebox, filled with your unwanted toys you are sharing the true meaning of Christmas.
A boy sitting silently in the middle of the pack knows the hard-fact of sacrifice. His own life is not easy. He wonders if he would be a recipient of one of the shoeboxes. He hopes his friends in class don’t know of his predicament.
Last night as he wandered around his bedroom, looking for items that he could contribute, he found nothing. As he sat on his bed, sadness settled around him. Then he remembered the dime he found in the school parking lot a week earlier. That was it! Ten cents would be his contribution to the shoeboxes. At least it would be something, albeit, small, he could add to the piles on the floor.
With the shoeboxes now complete, a church group in town distributes them to children in our community. Kids who are unknown to social services and other charity providers will have something this Christmas.
Several weeks later on a cold January day, the teacher received a letter from a woman who delivered some of the boxes. In the letter, she described an experience which overwhelmed him.
The volunteer said, “I had been working hard all afternoon and into the evening to get each of the shoeboxes delivered to the children. My last stop was at a home high on a hillside, away from the city. A small boy in clothes meant for someone much younger, opened the door. I handed him a shoebox. His eyes brightened and a big grin grew across his face. He asked if he could open the shoebox, of course, I gestured. He gingerly took his time and was careful not to rip the paper. He opened the top of the box and lovingly took out each item. He placed them carefully on the floor as if crafted from gold.”
“A fast food windup toy, a pizza parlor awards gift, numerous school items, and finally at the bottom of the shoebox he discovered the most treasured gift, a shiny dime. The little boy held up the dime and screamed with joy, “I got a dime!” He danced around the room and with his commotion; his mother came racing into the room. “Look, Mom, someone gave ME a dime!”
“My eyes filled with tears,” the volunteer wrote, “To think this child was thrilled over receiving a dime.”
Tears filled the teachers eyes. –The End—
This is a true story. It reminds me gifts come in all sizes, and sometimes the best gift we can receive is the smallest. A small gesture made this season toward another person may be the biggest gift received. It might be a smile, or the purchase of a stranger’s meal at the local McDonalds or delivering a gift to a senior citizen, or maybe it is giving a dime to a child.
The Lord desires us to be givers.
“Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do.” – Deuteronomy 15:10
Story by: Jan Smith and Lynn Donovan
Each year in our town many of us contribute to this special Angel ministry. It helps people, young and old, who slip through the cracks of social services and provides one wish and one need to those who cannot afford to purchase gifts at Christmas. The first year I helped, I remember reading the list of needs. When I reach the words, shoes and socks, and postage stamps, I wept out loud and uncontrolled.
I have never been them same. My thankfulness for all I have, changed in that moment. My heart was wounded, never to be repaired, so that I might give to others the rest of my days. Merry Christmas, Love, Lynn
Lynn, this deeply touched my heart, thank you for sharing.
You’ve truly captured the joy of Christmas in your blog today. No doubt, you’re keeping Kleenex in business. I hope they appreciate you!
There is a spirit in the gift of giving….. It is in the giving that the Lord can do His most perfect work……. It was in the widow’s mite in the bible that was the greatest gift because she gave her all…… God can take the smallest of gifts and ignite a heart……. What a great story…. How precious are those two children,,, the giver and the one receiving the gift……..
Lynn, thank you for sharing this beautiful story. I hope that little boy heard how much his dime was appreciated.
That is the most precious story! Such TRUTH in action! Thanks for sharing this awesome reminder of what we do “counts for Christ” no matter how small.
Bless you !!!