But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:3-4
Let's be honest, if your doing it so that you can tell people/post it on FB/tweet about it, then obviously you're heart is not in the right place. Some people may not agree with this line of thought, but I'm pretty sure I'm not stepping on any toes since a whopping five whole people read our blog :-)
Growing up my parents always said that it's your attitude behind the giving that really matters. Ouch. That really hurt each week as I reluctantly tithed part of my allowance. I think this was what Paul was talking about when he said, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7)
It's the attitude behind giving that really matters. There is a huge difference between giving when you feel obligated, and intentionally (and cheerfully) giving. I'm lucky to have married one of the most generous people I know (other than my Dad) and I have always prayed that Sophia would inherit that from him. So far, I think that she has. FYI... If I sound like a obnoxiously proud parent in these next two stories, it's because I am :-)
For Sophia's first birthday and Christmas we donated most of the presents to Mission Arlington. No big deal because she didn't get it, right? Well, then came her second birthday and we talked to her a lot about it and she seemed fine with donating her birthday presents. Well, fast forward to the week after her party and we were loading the boxes of stuff in the car. Sophia had been playing with one specific toy for about thirty minutes while I was organizing/loading the car. I said, "Would you like to pick out one special toy to keep?". She of course said yes.
The whole drive to Mission Arlington we talked about the kids that didn't have any toys and how happy they would be when they were given one. We pulled up at MA and they started unloading the stuff out of the back of the car. As I got back in the car Sophia said "Mommy, one more!", and handed me the toy she had been playing with. I said, "Are you sure? You can keep one if you want." She completely melted my heart with the words, "No, Mommy. Make the kids happy", as she handed me the toy. Such a kind hearted little girl. Each year after her birthday and Christmas, we load up her presents and take them to MA. The fact that she lovingly gives to others puts such joy in our hearts. I pray it stays this way.
A couple months before she turned three she had asked why we never got to go inside MA. So I emailed the Director, Miss Tillie, and asked if there were any volunteering opportunities that I could do with a toddler in tow. Miss Tillie assured me there were plenty of things she could help with and so we started volunteering the next week. So most Thursdays after I pick S up at school, we head to MA to help with various things (the food pantry, hanging up clothes, sorting toys, etc). We may not get as much accomplished as two adults would, but I feel like the best way to mold a servant's heart is by serving others, especially when you you aren't required to.
This year each time Santa asked Sophia what she wanted for Christmas she immediately answered that she wanted a big girl bike. She had outgrown her tricycle about six months earlier and loved riding her cousin Frankie's bike. So Dan and I decided that her 'special' gift to keep this year would be a bike. On Christmas Eve we were planning on spending the day delivering food baskets to families for MA. When we arrived they told us that they really needed people with SUV's to help deliver bikes. Okay, no big deal. We pulled up at the annex to load the first round of bikes. Turns out that most of the bike deliveries they had assigned to us were for kids between three and six years old. Sophia helped us pick out bikes and helmets for the first round of kids and we loaded them in the car.
We were a little nervous that she was going to be so sad to go home empty handed after spending the day delivering bikes to other kids. (Especially since she didn't know that she was getting her own bike the next morning.) But in true Sophia fashion our sweet, sweet girl enjoyed every minute of giving the bikes away and even requested a stop at Wal-Mart to buy some toys to take the kids as well. It was probably one of the top five proudest moments we have had as parents. We love this girl's heart.
It made this moment that much sweeter...
She was sooooo excited that she got her own BIG GIRL BIKE!
We even let her touch Cookie the Elf and take him for a ride before he returned to the North Pole :-)
Oh, my sweet girl. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of the kind, generous, soft-hearted girl that you are. We love you more everyday!
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