A Giving Heart

Just when I get frustrated beyond explanation with one of my kids, they go and demonstrate that something, SOMETHING we've been attempting to teach them has been sinking in.

From the time they were first printed up until just a few years ago, my grandma always sent each of her grandkids a $2 bill for their birthday (well, she sent them to my brothers and me... if any of you cousins reading this didn't get them, it just proves that WE WERE HER FAVORITES! Unless you got $5 bills or $10s or $20s or....).

My mom wanted to continue the example her mother set, so last year she started sending each of her grandkids a $2 bill for their birthday (unless my brother is reading this and his kids haven't received any then it just proves that MY KIDS ARE THE FAVORITES!). Susanna is about to turn 4, so she got her birthday card....and $2 bill....on Saturday. Susi is just now starting to get the whole concept of money and saving it and spending and giving....maybe because of the example her older brother has been setting as he divides his hard earned money into his giving bank (some for church, some for saving, some for spending). And I'll tell you (just cuz she can't read yet so this won't spoil the surprise for her), she's getting her own giving bank for her birthday, too!

ANYWAY! Susanna reacted with glee to her $2 AND the gold dollar coins Mom sent to each of them. The coins went into their special collector's teddy bear banks (along with other dollar coins and bicentennial coins), but there was no way she was letting that $2 bill out of her hands. I did convince her that she was not allowed to take it to bed, but she insisted it was NOT going into the bank either. Now, some people may not have much use for $2 bills. They're a bit odd looking and aren't in general circulation. I kinda think they're neat and I actually saved all the ones from my grandma...and trade out any with personal money when we get them at our Market. And that's what I wanted to pass on to my kids...save the $2 bills. They're special.

Sunday dawned, we stumbled out of bed, rushed through getting ready for church, and headed out the door. Then I noticed Sus had her $2 bill in her hand. I told her when we got to church she should leave her money in the car so it wouldn't get lost (I was still thinking I'd convince her to put it in a safe place at home). "No, Mama, I'm taking it to give to God." "Yeah, that's nice, honey, but you're going to lose it. Just leave it in the car." She didn't.

Then the offering plate (well, ours is a bag) came around. She looked at me. She looked at her money. I told her to put it in, since she brought it in. She didn't. She passed the bag on to Luke who put in his change. Then she told me, "I want to give it to Pastor Marty myself!" And sure enough, she did. As soon as he was done preaching, my little girl marched towards the front then stopped. She looked around for me, grabbed my hand, then walked the rest of the way up. She held out her $2 bill to Pastor Marty and told him, "here, this is for you to give to God."

Wow. And here all I wanted her to do was store up her treasures on earth.

Maybe I should go dig Luke's $2 bill out of the church part of his giving bank.