My Life as a Shoebox

This week, all across the USA, people are filling shoeboxes full of goodies so that Operation Christmas Child can send them around this great globe to kids in need.  Sharing God’s love with children is what it’s all about.  Well, that and having some fun in the process.

For months, volunteers with OCC have been working hard to accomplish a massive goal: to collect more shoeboxes than ever before!  But last week many of us {me included} had the opportunity to have some fun while promoting OCC as we became…human shoeboxes!

Donning a large box painted in brilliant red and green, I took on greater Orlando with my own personal photographer, TechDaddy.  The purpose: to spread the word about and direct attention to Operation Christmas Child.

One important stop was to visit my VeggieTales friends at Lifeway Christian Store, a partner with Operation Christmas Child.  Here I am, sprawled out in the children’s section, reading to Bob and Larry.

They were wiped out, having just been promoting their newest DVD, The Little Drummer Boy.  Bob stayed focused though he kept making comments about how terrific my hair smelled.  Larry, on the other hand, crashed after 2 seconds and proceeded to roll back and forth on the carpet, occasionally listing items that would be perfect to fill a shoebox.  Here’s another shot of me showing how totally comfortable it is to lay on the floor. In a box.  Junior Asparagus came over to read along.

After Bob finished informing TechDaddy about how a Speedlite {with a Gary Fong diffuser} would help my Nikon to capture indoor shots so much better, we took off for one of my favorite places: Walt Disney World!

Walking down Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom, wearing my shoebox, was a magical experience as I drew quite a bit of attention.  My favorite part of this visit was when folks would say “Look! Operation Christmas Child! We’re filling our shoeboxes next week!!”  That was so awesome!

Here I am in front of Cinderella’s Castle.  {Note: Never, ever try to step up on a bench wearing a box unless you have “tech” support nearby. Thanks to my awesome husband for lifting me up. We have got to show the outtakes of that graceful maneuver.}

On our walk through DisneyWorld we heard that two Disney bigwigs wanted to meet us.  Can you guess who they were?

Mickey and Minnie were fabulous!  They gestured {because they don’t speak} that they loved my shoebox and then the Big Cheese joked that I was “gifted.” Hahaha!

Did you like those shots?  You can go to the Operation Christmas Child Facebook page to see more pix of volunteers across the country dressed as shoeboxes. They are all awesome, but you won’t want to miss the one in the Grand Canyon.  Oh yeah…and the giant fish.  And Paul Bunyan and Babe.  Oh, just go see them all.

If you haven’t turned in your shoebox yet there’s still time!  Go here to find your nearest drop-off location and take your shoebox by November 21st.  Or, if you feel you’d like someone to pack your shoebox for you, check out Build-a-Box.  And remember, you can follow your shoebox to learn it’s final destination by making your shipping donation online.  If you have filled a shoebox and turned it into Operation Christmas Child, I thank you. You have blessed a child.

Have you filled a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child?

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