It doesn't matter what ninjas do.
Posted in giving, Hannah's post, kindness. 2 comments
The district didn't have school on Friday. Woot! This means the States (that's what we call our two children) and I had oodles of time to prepare for Christmas.This means attacking the playroom, which started to look like how my friends' dads described Dresden. Barricades and casualties everywhere. Egads. When my kids play, they play with fervor, my goodness. So we cleaned, really cleaned, the playroom. We cranked the tunes and sorted stuff (in this case, toys) into piles of specials, donate, re-purpose and trash. Halfway through the assorted disaster of the playroom, my daughter said, "We should donate my Barbie house."
Indie and I looked up, baffled. "But you love Barbies, sweetie," I said to her. "Yes," she touted, "I love Barbies, but I never play with that ginormous house."
She's right. She doesn't play with it ... and it is a ginormous house. She enjoys it, but she knows others would enjoy it more. I had no idea why we were holding on to it.
"Well, okay. I'll have Daddy haul it in the truck over to the D.A.V on his next day off," I said.
"Oh no. Don't do that, Mom. Christmas is coming. We need to give it away now," and with that she went to work sprucing up the old place, preparing for it to find a new home.
"Honey," I interjected, "I don't know who to give this to - or how to give it to them before Christmas. It's huge. But, it's a great idea ... I just don't think we can do it."
"Of course we can, Mom," she said confidently. "Can we get it to the street?" Missouri laid out her plan of hosting what sounded to be a drive-by free store. When her excitement was reigned back on track we all three worked to get that huge house out to the curb. We made a real fun FREE sign and taped it down to the toy's grand balcony. Then we all scampered away to the less blustery sun porch. It was freezing. The States then planted themselves on the floor and beamed, while watching every car drive by.
Then, without prompting, they BOTH began to pray. My daughter led the prayer by saying, "God, thank You for giving me toys." Then they took turns thanking God and prayed that God would use this as a gift and let the dollhouse bless someone else to believe. It was about the coolest prayer I have ever heard.
Without missing a beat, Indie looked up and said, "Excuse me. What if a ninja steals it?! And then no one gets the house present at all, ever?!" Missouri laughed and said, "Indie, we are supposed to give. It doesn't matter what ninjas do."
Well, that's it, friends. We need to give. It doesn't matter what anyone else might do or is doing. It doesn't even matter whether or not jerk ninjas take it away. We are just asked to give.
My concordance says the Bible uses the word give 13,501 times. Why? Clearly, giving is important!
So you guys are thinking, "Does giving just mean handing over my money?" No! God asks us to give what has already been given to us. "Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you" (Deuteronomy 16:17).
If you have been given food - Give food.
If God has given you lots of free time - Give your time to help others.
If God has given you extra funds - Give financially.
If God has given you mercy - Give mercy.
If God has given you skill or a craftsmanship - Use that skill to help others.
It's really very simple. We were not asked to delegate where our gift goes or what others do with it. We cannot control what others choose to do or not to do. God has given them free will - but we believers are called to give. Give without reward. Just give. You don't get to choose what happens with that gift or even whether or not ninjas try to steal it. Just give. Give love. Give mercy. Give light. Give childlike faith. Give hope. Give because God has given us all so much.
This Christmas I hope you all had food to eat, a warm place to sleep and lovely people to share life with. And, cause I am a five-year-old at heart, I even hope you got something special to celebrate all that God has given us. (I got a pear in my stocking! I don't know the last time I ate a pear. It was super delicious.)
Friends, let's worry less about what others are doing, or what ninjas might do, and spend more time focused on what we were asked to do.
Give more. Hope more. Love more.
I am happy to report that within an hour the dollhouse was taken elsewhere. We prayed it would bless whomever it was given to and we believed it was so. And then we enjoyed the open space with a stuffed animal dance party.
We have been given much. Now, let's get excited and creative and let's give more.
Indie and I looked up, baffled. "But you love Barbies, sweetie," I said to her. "Yes," she touted, "I love Barbies, but I never play with that ginormous house."
She's right. She doesn't play with it ... and it is a ginormous house. She enjoys it, but she knows others would enjoy it more. I had no idea why we were holding on to it.
"Well, okay. I'll have Daddy haul it in the truck over to the D.A.V on his next day off," I said.
"Oh no. Don't do that, Mom. Christmas is coming. We need to give it away now," and with that she went to work sprucing up the old place, preparing for it to find a new home.
"Honey," I interjected, "I don't know who to give this to - or how to give it to them before Christmas. It's huge. But, it's a great idea ... I just don't think we can do it."
"Of course we can, Mom," she said confidently. "Can we get it to the street?" Missouri laid out her plan of hosting what sounded to be a drive-by free store. When her excitement was reigned back on track we all three worked to get that huge house out to the curb. We made a real fun FREE sign and taped it down to the toy's grand balcony. Then we all scampered away to the less blustery sun porch. It was freezing. The States then planted themselves on the floor and beamed, while watching every car drive by.
Then, without prompting, they BOTH began to pray. My daughter led the prayer by saying, "God, thank You for giving me toys." Then they took turns thanking God and prayed that God would use this as a gift and let the dollhouse bless someone else to believe. It was about the coolest prayer I have ever heard.
Without missing a beat, Indie looked up and said, "Excuse me. What if a ninja steals it?! And then no one gets the house present at all, ever?!" Missouri laughed and said, "Indie, we are supposed to give. It doesn't matter what ninjas do."
Well, that's it, friends. We need to give. It doesn't matter what anyone else might do or is doing. It doesn't even matter whether or not jerk ninjas take it away. We are just asked to give.
My concordance says the Bible uses the word give 13,501 times. Why? Clearly, giving is important!
So you guys are thinking, "Does giving just mean handing over my money?" No! God asks us to give what has already been given to us. "Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you" (Deuteronomy 16:17).
If you have been given food - Give food.
If God has given you lots of free time - Give your time to help others.
If God has given you extra funds - Give financially.
If God has given you mercy - Give mercy.
If God has given you skill or a craftsmanship - Use that skill to help others.
It's really very simple. We were not asked to delegate where our gift goes or what others do with it. We cannot control what others choose to do or not to do. God has given them free will - but we believers are called to give. Give without reward. Just give. You don't get to choose what happens with that gift or even whether or not ninjas try to steal it. Just give. Give love. Give mercy. Give light. Give childlike faith. Give hope. Give because God has given us all so much.
This Christmas I hope you all had food to eat, a warm place to sleep and lovely people to share life with. And, cause I am a five-year-old at heart, I even hope you got something special to celebrate all that God has given us. (I got a pear in my stocking! I don't know the last time I ate a pear. It was super delicious.)
Friends, let's worry less about what others are doing, or what ninjas might do, and spend more time focused on what we were asked to do.
Give more. Hope more. Love more.
I am happy to report that within an hour the dollhouse was taken elsewhere. We prayed it would bless whomever it was given to and we believed it was so. And then we enjoyed the open space with a stuffed animal dance party.
We have been given much. Now, let's get excited and creative and let's give more.
2 comments:
what a wonderful post. You are doing a good job with your little ones.
Aw, thank you Ruth. I would love to take credit here, but I know their tender hearts and kind spirits have nothing to do with what I do. Kids just get it, you know? That's why I learn so much from them.
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