Warming My Heart

A woman in our Life Group through church works for a children's home here and told us this morning of an emergency placement. The three children will be in the home for Christmas, but they were not planning on having them, so the company who is providing Christmas has helped with the current residents, but the need for the three unexpected children has not been met. She sent out an e-mail asking for help to give these kids a Christmas like the others in the home, from clothes to toys. I have a special place in my heart for helping children, especially during the holidays. Although she doesn't remember it, we have done the Angel Tree with Kaitlyn each year since she turned two.
This afternoon I told her that we were going to go to the store to pick up a gift exchange present for a little boy in her class and while we were doing that we would be picking up toys and clothes for these three little kids (one being a little girl her age). My sweet, gracious, generous daughter said, "Okay, we can use the money from my piggy bank, especially since I don't have a piggy bank anymore." Her brother broke it because she kept climbing up to get it to play with the money and Ryan grabbed it before we knew it was down...again, but back to the real story. This warmed my heart and made me so proud to be her mother. I know that she has no concept of money, but $5 for her is a lot, especially since is at that age where she doesn't want to share (and she actually has to do her chores to get paid). Now she isn't perfect (as we all know) and asked for all of the things we bought for others for herself, but was kind enough to take her money, pick something out, and pay for it herself for a complete stranger who is less fortunate than she.
As frustrating and defiant as she can be sometimes, it is times like these where I know we are getting through to her and doing something right as parents. She is a special and loving child, filled with God's grace and giving spirit, and for this I am so proud. I am writing this so I can remember how sweet she is on those days where I want to strangle her for not sharing with her brother. ;D