Monday afternoon, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find a young man with a stack of grocery sacks and papers in his hand.
He introduced himself and let me know he was doing a food drive in our neighborhood for the local food banks. He gave me a plastic sack, asked if I’d be willing to fill it up and said he’d be back later in the week to pick it up.
The girls and I immediately took the sack downstairs to our “pantry” (i.e. some shelves on the wall in our utility closet). We came up with tuna, pasta and a number of other canned and jarred goods to fill the sack with. As we were pulling things off the shelf, it provided an excellent opportunity for me to share with the girls again about how important it is that we live our lives with open hands, seeking to give to and bless those in need.
It was such a simple thing and a grocery sack full of non-perishables won’t really make that much of a difference. However, our hope and prayer is that by constantly looking for opportunities to teach our children to be givers, it can make a lifelong impact in their lives — and in the lives of all those they come in contact with.
How have you been encouraging your children to be givers recently? I’d love to hear your ideas!
