During this time of Christmas, it is easy to lose sight of the “Meaning of Christmas”. Our family has slowly moved out of the materialism of the holiday, it’s not easy with a 4 & 5 year old who want every item they see in the commercials, but over the last 3 years the Lord has become the focus of the holiday. But slowing down, well that’s another thing. There always seems to be somewhere that we need to go, another activity right around the corner.
As we are completing Alyson’s 2nd quarter of home school, she had a Christmas program to perform along with the other elementary students. God moves in strange ways. There was a small portion that the kindergarteners participated in, they were angels and shepherds and at the end of the program they set gifts before the baby Jesus. These gifts were rice bowls. The assistant school that she attends had the older children collect money for an organization (ricebowls.org) to help feed orphans throughout the world. At the end of the program, Alyson is anxious and wants a rice bowl of her own. She wants to go out and collect money to help feed orphans. This is not a new thing for our family, or even Alyson. This is where our heart is, and where God has spoken us to serve. Over the last two years Alyson has been very inquisitive about why I go to Africa in the summer and what I do over there. I recall the first year I went. When I came home, she was looking through all my pictures, then looked up at me and said, “Mommy, if you need to go back to Africa again, it’s ok, because I want you to be able to help these children and I know now you will come home.” That blew me away, weeks before my departure she had been in tears, asking why I had to leave. This from a four year old! Well, now close to 6, she has gotten more serious, asking when she can go and help too. We even had the pleasure of seeing the Ugandan Orphan Choir sing at the beginning of this month, and she wanted to choose her own sponsor child. It was hard to explain to her that we already sponsor four children in Zambia and right now that is where our heart is. She listened as patiently as she could to my explanation, thought for a moment and simply responded; “Ok, well when we help all the orphans in Zambia then can we go to Uganda and help them too.” What was I to say? Of course I said yes.
So this isn’t something new, but we do try to let our girls find their own way to serve the Lord. This rice bowl took me a bit by surprise, but I guess it shouldn’t have. We asked around to see if there was any way we could get one, but they were all full. We just decided to go to the website and do it ourselves. No big deal. Life does have a way of distracting you when you get home though. Sadly, we lost track of her desire as the weekend continued. (I should just state that this was the same night we came home and found our dog unable to stand any longer and the next morning we had to put him to sleep, but I know myself, I would have still forgotten about it; it was the weekend of course and Christmas was just around the corner.)
Have I said God works in strange ways? I always love how when he lays something on one heart, he also does it on another. When she returned to school on Tuesday, she came home as normal. We talked about the day, had a snack and just planned for dinner. As I started unpacking her school bag, I looked inside and there it was. One of the teachers had found her an empty rice bowl! I was so excited for her. “Alyson, you didn’t tell me you got an empty rice bowl?” At which she became excited and said, “OH! Can I go out right now and collect change?” I knew she had to return in on Thursday. She decided to ask our neighbors in our small cul-de-sac for spare change. Very independently she practiced what she needed to say “I’m collecting spare change to feed orphans throughout the world with ricebowls.org; can you help?” She was so cute. But then to my surprise she firmly stated that she wanted to go by herself. With much compromising, I was at least allowed to sit on the sidewalk in front of our house and watch her through the neighborhood.
Peter and I decided to home school for one important reason, we wanted a focus on our girls to learn to serve the Lord. Although this is not a fit for everyone, it was the best means for our family. I question this decision occasionally, mostly because I would like the time to myself, but still there are moments. Well, this moment was one that reconfirmed our decision. As I watched her walk to each door, my eyes filled with tears. Not because she was being independent, or that she learned a sweet little phrase. What I see in her is a child that is growing to see the need of other children in the world. Those who are vulnerable and in need of everyone’s help. She is taking her own initiative and going out to tell others that there are children that need food, shelter, and education; basic needs we are so blessed to have here. She may not be saying it that way, but she’s only 5. Can you imagine the young woman she will become as she continues to grow in the Lord? (Really, we can’t get her to keep her opinions to herself much now, so look out.) She is growing a servant heart. What a blessing! This is something that as adults I believe we all struggle with. All the shiny things keep us distracted, the treadmill of life keeps us moving, but this young girl in the midst of the shiny lights of Christmas took a moment to serve the less fortunate, to serve the Lord. Isn’t that what we are all called to do?
I pray that as Christmas approaches, we all can find a way to serve the less fortunate during this time of need and,as Alyson has shown me, that we all grow in faith as seen through a child’s eyes.
