opportunities to be generous

Sometimes I look around our house and I'm downright overwhelmed at all we have.  

Don't get me wrong.  I like to spoil my kids.  I want them to have the best.  

But I also want them to know that the real gifts are in the giving.  

So, we've been praying for this...Peach and I.

Before bed each night, we've been asking God for "opportunities to be generous".   We've been praying for eyes to see needs and opportunities to bless people.  It has been so fun to teach my girl the art of truly sharing.

It all started with this.

Peach's little friend had some nasty bug bites and we knew her Momma was looking for something natural to take away the itch.  We have a stick just like it and when we saw another in the grocery store, we snatched it up and drove it right over to her house.  I loved the spontaneity of it and the conversation on the way to her house about how Jesus tells us to love other people the same way we love ourselves.  God gave me just the words to explain to Peach that anything we would do to make ourselves more comfortable or more happy we should also consider doing for others. 

Peach's conclusion:  "We don't want the nasty itchies and we don't want our friends to have them either!"

After I made Peach some adorable little clips for her hair, we also decided to make some for our neighbor girls.  After another conversation about how we want to love other people just like we love ourselves, I could tell that Peach was getting the idea.

When I made one of these to hold Peach's clips, she had an idea right away of some other friends that we could share with.  My heart was bursting with pride!  Even after I gave her the option of which one she wanted to keep, she chose the BEST ones to give away (I got better at them the more I made) and kept the not.so.good one that I made first to keep for herself.

Finally, just the other day, we had a nice cool breeze flowing through the house and it was the perfect day for baking.  I asked Peach if she wanted to help and she was thrilled at the idea!  As we were making these cookies, she told me that she thought this was an "op tune tee to be genwous".  She wanted to send some to school with me for the guy who teaches down the hall.  

I just melted.  She gets it.  At the age of two, she's starting to realize something that takes many people a lifetime to learn: 

That the best gifts are the ones we give away. 

Let me tell ya' - those were some of the best cookies I've ever eaten.     Lesson learned - when we give, God always finds a way to return something back to us. 

This little project has made me do a lot of thinking, too.  It has helped me to remember that none of this is really ours anyway.  Everything we have has been entrusted to us by our very gracious God.  We can't make these hearts beat.  We can't cause the sun to rise each day.  These bodies...this home...these vehicles...the couch I'm sitting on ...the clothes I'm wearing...the balance in my checkbook.  It is all HIS.  I am privileged to be a steward of these gifts.  

Lord, help me to be wise with how I use them.

So we hold all these things with an open hand, thanking God for opportunities to enjoy what He has given 

and opportunities to give it all away.  

Absolutely cannot wait for our next opportunity!