Oh, You Do That?

That was the question asked to Ben and me by our Rosebud girl, V. I was handing Ben some food to take to school for the food drive and V noticed what we were doing. 
"Oh, you do that?" 
"Well we do what we can." Often I'm not prepared, as in I didn't got shopping extra for things, so I'm just pulling from our pantry. 
Then Ben said something along the lines of it's good to give because it helps you remember that you do have things even when you think you don't and that others really don't have things. 
Then a few moments later, V shared an insight into her life back home. I think she has seen both ends of the receiving but has never noticed them before. It was a short little moment and one could have easily missed it. I am SO glad I didn't.


I had decided earlier this month that our family wasn't going to participate in Operation Christmas Child through our church. There are always so many areas where you can give and Bill and I thought that well, for one, we have already kind of been giving (as in having V living with us) and two, we'd follow up with any Christmas giving to Rosebud and just call that good. But that instance, along with what I uncovered during my time in the Word that night, revealed something different. 


2 Chronicles 31- The temple of the Lord is being restored under King Hezekiah and the people of Israel and Judah started bringing their contributions to it's rebuilding and supporting the workers of the temple and the priests. Jump to 2 Chron. 29:31... and all whose hearts were willing brought... ALL WHOSE HEARTS WERE WILLING! These people who were under seige for three years, many had been already lead into captivity, all under oppression, had willing hearts. In fact, 31: 6,7 says "...they piled them in heaps. They began doing this in the third month and finished in the seventh month." So much it took 4 months to collect it all!


I could go on, but I'll save it for another time. Filling 4 shoe boxes wasn't exactly going to break our budget. The fact that I've been pining for a $$ camera but I can't muster enough for 4 children whose only gifts will be the ones tucked away in a plastic box didn't seem to settle well either. That's that, I decided.


I started pulling out little things that I had stashed along with the shopping I had done earlier and making a heap. (No, it didn't take 4 months or even 4 days to collect. ) As I was getting it all set up before supper, V noticed what I was doing. I told her about it a little and she immediately asked if she could do it too. I had totally planned for her to give one so it just made my heart so full to hear her eagerness. We watched the video from the Samaritan's Purse site (above link) during supper and then afterwards, the kids got to pack their shoe boxes. So easy, so fun. Crayons, notepads, little cars, hairbands, lip gloss, fun socks, toothbrush, toothpaste, stickers, whoopee cushions, pens that say Ward's Woodworking (from Bill's dad :)), balloons and candy. Lots of candy. Remember all that candy from Halloween? I told the kids if they felt like giving from their own candy stash they could. And they all did!


Here's a picture from last night. It is totally blurry because the lens was dirty (as in, I think someone may have licked it!) (and truthfully, I was thinking, "Bummer. Now we have to get a new camera!" *happy dance*) but you get the idea.

My kids sometimes get the idea that others are needy. V is having her eyes opened to things other than herself. And I hope that I never forget the question "Oh, you do that?" 
Yeah, we do that!