Starting Right
Starting Right is a 5 minute Day Starter to help keep you motivated, encouraged, and focused throughout your day. DannyMac is a pastor, teacher, motivational speaker, husband, and father. His years of leading and training people have given him vast experience in helping individuals to accomplish change in their lives and meet their goals. He can help you set the course for your day by offering practical advice from God's Word in a positive and fun way. There is no better way to begin your day than by Starting Right with DannyMac.
Starting Right
The Fireman's Promise
What happens when ordinary people choose extraordinary compassion? Today's episode tells the deeply moving story of Billy, a six-year-old boy with terminal leukemia whose simple wish to become a fireman triggered an unexpected chain of events.
When a heartbroken mother in Phoenix approached her local fire department asking if her dying son could simply ride around the block in a fire engine, Fireman Bob's response changed everything: "We can do better than that." What followed wasn't just the fulfillment of a child's dream but a profound demonstration of humanity at its finest.
Proverbs 3:27 tells us: "Never walk away from someone who deserves help. Your hand is God's hand for that person." This story challenges us all to recognize opportunities where we can say, "We can do better than that" in a world filled with fear and turmoil.
Join me every Monday through Friday for more stories and insights that will help you start your day by Starting Right. Your five minutes with me might just change how you approach your entire day—and the people who need your compassion most.
Good morning and welcome to Starting Right. I am Danny Mac and I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back and relax for the next five minutes as I help you start your day by starting right. In Phoenix, arizona, there was a 26-year-old woman who had a young son. He was six, but he was also dying of terminal leukemia of terminal leukemia. Even though the mom was just completely overwhelmed with the grief and the sadness, she had this strong sense of determination within her, like any parent, that she wanted to see her son grow up. She wanted to see her son be able to fulfill his dreams, but she realized that was now no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that, but she still wanted to see her son's dreams come true. One day she took his hand and she said Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up? Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman. Mom smiled and said let's see if we can make your wish come true. Later that day she went to one of the local fire departments there in Phoenix. It was there that she met Fireman Bob. Fireman Bob was one of these guys who had a heart that was as big as the entire state of Arizona. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block in a fire engine. Fireman Bob said we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, you can go out on our fire calls the whole nine yards and if you give us the sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat not a toy, but one with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it and a yellow sticker like we wear and rubber boots. They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix so we can get them fast.
Speaker 1:Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy dressed in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit in the back of the truck and help steer it back to the station and he was in absolute heaven out on all three calls. He rode in different fire engines the paramedic's van and even the fire chief's car. The local news came and did a story on Billy videotaping his special day with the fire department. Having his dream come true and all of the love and attention that was lavished upon him that day affected Billy so deeply that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought was going to be possible.
Speaker 1:However, on one night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in hospice concept that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital. She then remembered the day that Billy had spent as a fireman, so she called the fire chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition. The chief said we can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire, there's not an emergency, it is just the department coming to see one of its finest members one more time, and will you open the window to his room.
Speaker 1:About five minutes later, a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window. Sixteen firefighters climbed up the ladder to Billy's room With his mother's permission. They hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, billy looked up to the fire chief and said Chief, am I really a fireman now? The chief replied Billy, you are, and the head chief, jesus, is holding your hand. Billy smiled and said I know he's been holding my hand all day and the angels have been singing With that. Billy closed his eyes one last time.
Speaker 1:The beauty and the power of this story really is in the hearts of the firemen. When they were asked a simple question by Billy's mother twice, they responded we can do better than that. We will come and we will meet your need, but we will do better than that. Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 27 in the message translation says this never walk away from someone who deserves help. Your hand is God's hand for that person.
Speaker 1:When we realize that we are in fact the hand of God helping someone else, it becomes a whole lot easier for us to say we can do even better than that. I believe that God is asking all of us to step up our game, to recognize the fear and the anger and the turmoil around us, and to reach out to help people, not just with the small things, but in ways that we can do it that will make such an impact on them that they will never forget it. Have a great day, everyone. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday, right here on Starting Right with Danny Mac.
