Every year our church supports the Criminal Justice Chaplaincy by bringing unwrapped gifts to church for clients to "purchase" with credit earned through volunteer hours. I thought this would be a good activity for our kids to help with and experience the joy of giving. When I explained that our Christmas activity was to go shopping for gifts for other kids who might not get presents this Christmas, Koen's response was, "But I want to get a present for me!" It took some talking and convincing, but he finally agreed to shop for someone else. It's such a tough line as a parent...I want to be able to give my kids the things that they want (within reason, of course) and protect them from the harsh reality of poverty that others know too well. On the other hand, I want them to have generous and giving spirits, and how can they have that unless they know there's a need?
I gave them each $10 and off we went to Target. I was correct in my assumption that we'd head straight to the Thomas the Tank Engine aisle. Each boy picked out a train to give to church, and then we picked a Barbie doll to be from Brielle. Ty selected a train that he has and loves and Koen selected a train that's on his Christmas list. Once we got home, Ty wanted to take the train out to play with it, but I explained again that it was for another boy or girl who wouldn't have Christmas presents like him.
I wondered how it would go at church the next morning with the boys having to leave the trains there, but they both walked up to the box, placed the train in, and walked away. I was so proud of them!
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