Yes, it is the end of September, and I am just now blogging
about August. Some experiences you just
don’t want to forget without sharing….
Weston turned two on August 12th, and in
preparation for his birthday, I took Savannah one day to buy him a birthday
present. Now she’s been earning her own
money for a little while now—small amounts for a few basic chores like feeding
the dog—when she remembers or I remember to remind her=) Anyway, she had about $3.00 in coins saved
up, so we headed to the dollar store.
You should
have seen her. She was so giddy with excitement;
she couldn’t help but smile the entire ride in the car, her little legs kicking
back and forth in her seat.
“Savannah, what do you want to get
Weston for his birthday?”
“I’m going to buy him a bike, Mommy,
so he can go for walks with me on my bike.”
My heart ached and thrilled just a bit at the same time. Her heart was so big. Her intentions so pure.
“Well, honey, I don’t think you have
enough money to buy him a big bike, but you might have enough to get him a toy
bike.” I watched as her demeanor fell
just a bit, but she soon recovered.
“Yeah! Ok, mommy, we will get him a toy!” Big smiles again.
Pulling into
the Dollar General, she skipped inside and carefully began perusing the toy
aisle. Picking up this toy and that,
carefully selecting which toy would be the best fit, not just for Weston, but
for her budget, she finally decided on a small battery-powered hand drill. Both my kids love to help out Daddy with his
jobs around the house=)
Choice made,
we headed to the cashier, and I watched as my daughter literally poured every
last dime she had earned over the past months onto the counter, and we began to
count. That drill cost all she had down
to the last dime, and she didn’t even flinch.
She just hopped up and down with the excitement of presenting her
brother with her very own gift and didn’t bat an eye at the cost to
herself. My heart strings began to
tug. Oh to be a child again with naivety
of the world, of all it costs. No wonder
Christ treasured the heart of a child—it is unencumbered to sacrifice for
Him—heck, Savannah didn’t even know what she was sacrificing!
And then as
we turn to leave the store, purchase in hand, my little girl runs over to the ice
cream bin, and with wide-eyed wonder gazes at the choices. Still with that silly grin, in all innocence
she asks, “Can I buy an ice cream for Daddy and Weston and me?”
What was I
to do at that point? Tell her “no”? My heart overflowed with a sense of compassion
and goodness, pride and humbleness all at the same time. It was tangible favor. I was pleased with her good heart. She had just freely sacrificed all she had,
and now she wanted to give more (and let’s be honest, get a little in return as
well). How could I deny her that???
"Well honey, you spent all your money, but because you did it for your brother, I will buy these ice creams for you to share." And so I bought the ice creams. One for Daddy, one for Weston, and one for
her. Money well spent.
As I recall
this in my mind, I can’t help but think about the verse: Matthew 7:11 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" Don’t you know my experience with Savannah is exactly how God looks on
us, His very own children? When we get
so caught up in the cost of giving all of ourselves—financially, physically,
etc.—we miss out on the outpouring joy and goodness of the Father when we ask
to give more (and maybe get a little in return too.) I mean if we all gave like my little girl—open
heart, joy-filled, naïve to the cost or maybe just not so concerned,
sacrificing it all for another—I honestly believe God could not deny us
anything when our heart is in line with His desire for us to serve others. We would always benefit vicariously if not
directly from these sacrifices. It makes
me want to just give abandoned more often.
To throw money, time, and talents at anyone God brings across my path.
(The emphasis here being God and not people, places, and things of my own
seeking.)
I want to
experience the good favor of our God smiling down into the lives of others through
me. I want to skip giddy to the store
and spend all I have for the blessing of someone else.
Not to earn
my Heavenly Daddy’s good favor and smile upon my life, but to receive it
unexpectedly in a pouring out of His great loving heart and effortless goodness.
After all,
He’s a parent too. How can He help it?
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