Sowing Seeds {The Giving Tree}

For years, my husband and I have said the Lord's Prayer over our meals. The boys would listen or not listen, as the case was, each time. Lately, as we say our prayer at the dinner table, the boys have started to chime in. At first, it was just a word or two, but now they are both joining in more whole-heartedly.

We say the words we were taught to pray as young children, over and over, and by example, little by little, they are memorizing the Lord's Prayer.

Practice does make perfect.

I often compare much of what I do in my life as sowing seeds. You never know what will grow from what you are planting through words, deeds and examples. This is true in the business world, the parenting gig and in the spiritual realm.

I stumbled across this passage last week and it seemed appropriate for the lesson I am always endeavoring to teach my kids.

"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is, destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal."  John 12:24-25 (The Message)

I've been thinking about ways to show my kids how amazing it is to give, rather than receive all the time. Now, I know that giving is important all year round, and we do look for ways to help others in various ways throughout the year, but it's this time of year that my kids think of what they want nonstop.

The greed and the lists grow with each toy catalog that gets delivered to this house, and that stack of catalogs is getting pretty big. They want this and that….they want it all. Or at least that's how it sounds.

So, this year, at ages 5 and 7, I am trying to find ways for them to really see the hurt, the lost, the forgotten, the have-nots around them and do something about it.

Here are my ideas, so far:

1. Shop for coats, hats, gloves, snow pants, etc. to donate to their school for kids who may not have adequate winter gear to face the Minnesota winter. {Our kids go outside for recess unless it's colder than -10 degrees or especially nasty blizzard conditions}
2. Take sandwiches/breakfast items, etc. and clothing donations to the Basilica of St. Mary for St. Vincent de Paul recipients (homeless/jobless/very needy) while recipients are there.
3. Volunteer to serve a meal at Loaves and Fishes;
4. Pick out some items from Heifer International to buy and help people in other parts of the world to build a business and provide for their families; the boys would love to pick the camel, but at $850 that's not an option this year;
5. Donate food to the Ronald McDonald house in Children's Hospital to help stock the pantry at their in-house residence for families of sick kids;
6. Find a Family to shop for and pick out gifts that they are excited to give to someone who would not otherwise have presents; and
7. Participate in the Better Together: A Family Service Event in Celebration of National Family Volunteer Day on Friday evening at Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis.

This is not too much for us to do. We can provide a little peace of mind, sustenance, warmth and joy to a few who are in need.

What my sons do not understand yet, but will eventually, is that without the support of family, we too, could have been on these lists for food, shelter, clothing, etc. It wasn't so long ago that we lived on the edge; that very fine line of having enough to get by spreading our resources very thin and not having enough to make it through the month.

Many people have had a rough go of it in the last 4 or so years. Some have come out of it barely scathed and others are still stuck in the miry clay of disappointment and bad luck and lack of opportunity or a combination of all three.

No matter your resilience or strength or abilities, it's not always easy to get back up once you've been knocked down the ladder of success. Everyone needs a helping hand from time to time. It feels good to extend a hand and pull someone up. Perhaps, what you offer will be enough to help them start the climb up again.

So, don't be shy or proud or ignorant; sow some seeds of love and hope and joy this season. Over an out…

Anna

 

Comments

[Felice]

I like the street idea, myself! :-)

[The Momarchy Ladies]

I think it's fabulous that you're instilling these beliefs/viewpoints in life in them at such a young age. It's very inspiring and I'm glad you don't seem to take good fortune for granted when it is so easy to do!