Charity
Today I was driving my five year old to pre-kindergarten and we had a talk about charity. On Wednesday’s at Trinity Lutheran School it is chapel day. The kids go to chapel and while there the offering plate is passed around. My son is very curious about what happens around him so we had a talk about the plate. He now wants to give, so he asks me for some money to put in the plate. I let him know that charity should be from him. I let him know it is easy to give away others money, but true charity comes from you. He thought about it and then said, ” lets go to my piggy bank.”
We went up to his bank and he took out some money. He then asks how much? I wasn’t ready for that question. I thought we would just grab some change and move on, but this is a little bigger. When I was collecting food for the food bank people asked how much and my response was, “not til it hurts, but when it feels good.”
I reminded him that there is next week and so he doesn’t have to give it all. He sorted out a mix of different coins for a total of about 15. Then we proceeded to school. The talk on the way was about how excited he was to give and how it meant more because it was his money.
This reminds me a lot of lodge. I remember sitting in the lodge room talking about the lodges charity donations then remembering this is not my money. This is not me being charitable, this is the lodge. It reminds me that it is easy to give away others money.
In this time of economic confusion, the government is giving, bailing out, etc… But whose money is it? Who are the charitable ones?
Have a great week and lets see if the Seahawks (Huskies, Cougars, etc..) can win one this weekend.
