A Giving Heart

My little "bean" as he is affectionately called can really surprise me sometimes. Once a week I am blessed with a kiss on the cheek from this child, but only on Sundays; hugs are a little easier to come by for which I am grateful. Ask him for a bite of ice cream or any food item he is enjoying and his first instinct is definitely not to share. He is not one to share long phone conversations or long letters. Luckily there are so many ways a child can have a giving heart. One of the ways Brody shows this is to give of him self. He loves to work and to have a job to do. He will drop what he is doing to take care of Jake, he even takes him outside now all by himself and is so proud! He is usually a very helpful child with chores, inside or out and likes to have an important job to do.

Another way he is willing to give from the heart is with his money. Our church is having a big outreach carnival on labor day weekend to supply low income families with school supplies and school clothes to start the year. I explained this to the boys and planted a seed a week ago about giving up some of their allowance for this great opportunity to give. We also went through their closets and pulled out clothes and shoes that they were willing to donate so other boys could have nice clothes to wear to school. So, today...I hit them up. I asked them separately so I could see what "their" idea was and make sure they weren't copying. Brody's first answer was $14! We grabbed his wallet and counted his money. He realized he didn't have as much as thought he did, and he ended up giving an amount that allowed him to still have some left which is OK. According to God's word we get to keep 90%! He doesn't understand percentages which is a good thing because he gave much more than the "tithe"! I am just so proud of his desire to "give" in this way! I love the enthusiasm that he showed when he shouted out that $14 with a huge smile on his face! I will hold that beautiful picture in my memory and treasure it always!