What if we did make a difference? What if we started right where we are? What if we made a commitment to our God first, and then to our families to leave a lasting legacy of faith and hope. What would THAT life look like?
At times the task seems much bigger than me. The numbers are staggering. As a mom of small children I feel overwhelmed by the need of my own family. But, something within me can’t let this be someone else’s problem. Someone within me is crying out to do something. I close my eyes and I wonder what it would be like if I saw 8 pairs of eyes looking up at me and I didn’t have food enough for their hungry bellies, shoes for their growing feet, or a safe warm bed. What would that life feel like?
I understand why Kristen, a mom just like me, had to do something about young, pregnant, and helpless girls in Kenya. I see why my friend Jenny is opening her heart and home to three sisters from Ethiopia. And I ask God for eyes to see and a chance to make a difference. But what can I do now?
- Donate items for a yard sale to benefit others instead of myself?
- Make a dinner for a new mom?
- Pack shoeboxes full with toys, books, shoes, candy and God’s love for children in need?
- Pray for friends on the front lines of ministry.
- Teach my children to give.
It all began with an honest look and a helping hand. Could this be God’s strategy for human hurt? First, kind eyes meet desperate ones. Next, strong hands help weak ones. Then, the miracle of God. We do our small part, he does the big part, and life at the Beautiful Gate begins to be just that.
Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life, page 71
Recently, I have been praying about teaching my girls about seeing and giving. We have started a mission project where we pick a different way to see and give each month. This November, we will pack shoe boxes for our sponsored children in Albania and Haiti. Through it all my girls are learning to use their hands to bless others.
I love that Max Lucado has the same vision to pass a legacy of seeing and giving onto children. Have you read this book?
It is part of the Outlive Your Life campaign. Written to the littlest ones in your family, it features rhyming text and sweet hand motions. It teaches children ways to do Gods work with their tiny hands. My favorite part lets them know that they can have helping hands, kind hands, and loving hands. I have used it during bedtime routine to ask my 4 year old, “What kind of hands did you have today?” She loves it!
Tommy Nelson is graciously giving you a chance to win a copy of this precious book for your home or Sunday School class. Just leave a comment and tell me how you are teaching your little ones to see and give. I will pick a winner through Random.org. Please make sure you leave your email if your name does not connect to your blog or contact information. Also, we can only accept entries from those living in the continental United States.
Now, go ahead and outlive your life, I dare you!
I currently have 4 teens living at home and teaching them to see and give has been an ongoing process for us. We mainly help in our immediate community but teaching them to help with items as well as time has not been as hard as you might expect. Just two days ago a neighbor needed help carrying items from her house into her storage shed. 3 of the children helped her and when she offered them $10 to share, they politely refused and pretended that they needed to hurry home 🙂 I’ve tried to teach them that although we don’t have alot compared to societies standards, what we do have isn’t worth much if we can’t share it.
I have two little neices who would love this book!
We have four kids, and we are always encouraging them to think of others who may not have the things that we are blessed with. We encourage them to go through their toys and give some of them away to those in need. They also help out in the community by opening doors for others, helping neighbours and by sharing toys and sports equipment with the neighbourhood kids.
Each Christmas they each get to make up a special box filled with toys, crayons, note books and other items for boys and girls to send via The Samaritans Purse to children in developing countries. This gives them the opportunity to show that they are making a difference in other peoples lives. While they get to choose the items that go into the box, my husband and I always make sure to encourage them to put things that will be useful to the child who will be receiving it. And they really enjoy doing this and learn a valuable lesson at the same time.
They would love this book!
Hey Stacey,
This is an area that I have really been praying about a lot lately so it’s funny you ask! To teach my children to see as Jesus sees, I must first teach myself how to do this! A couple months back, our family made dinner for 200 homeless at Lake Eola through a ministry called Straight Street Orlando (LOVE THIS MINISTRY) and we went and served dinner to these hurting and hungry people. I wept as I looked in the eyes of these people knowing how harsh I have judged them in the past….realizing that they too have a story and they are loved by Jesus just as much as I am! We are all sinners saved by Grace! Even more humbling was watching “these tiny hands” of my children serve them without fear, without judgement, and without preconceived “ideas and opinions” about the homeless. We were ALL blessed, changed, and humbled beyond words through this experience and already look forward to doing it again! Wanna come? 😉
Would love to win this book for the 8 tiny hands under my roof! xo
We picked another sweet child from haiti to sponsor. He is jonathan’s age–their birthdays are three days apart! His picture sits in jonathan’s room. I am hoping that God will grow a desire in his heart to help and pray for his “penpal”. And maybe even meet him one day! I think the most important part of this whole topic is that we must be the ones already serving. What are our children seeing us do everyday?
I am a mother of two young girls. My oldest is three and my youngest is 1. This year we will be sponsoring a child in the community who is in need and we will be buying Christmas presents for them. Our moms group is also planning on sending shoeboxes through Operation Christmas Child and my oldest will be helping with this also. I am trying to teach her to help others in whatever way she can by having her help me make cookies for a sick neighbor or friend, or by helping me deliver a meal to a friend who is having a rough time. I am hoping to show her through my actions that we can help others even when we think it is only a small act.
In our home we sponsor a child through World Vision from Zimbabwe (where I was born and raised) and in my class where I teach ‘3 year olds, we collect items all year long for Operation Christmas Child and then we all pitch in to pack these boxes as well as include a class photo 🙂