"Let the children come to me..."

Something I've been wanting to post about but kept forgetting was the baby shower that Ben's Awana kids (K-5th grade) gave us last week. If you didn't know, Ben is the Games Director for the Awana program we have at our church. He coordinates and plays games with the kids during their rec time on Wednesday nights. The kids found out "Mr. Ben" was going to be a dad and told the Awana Director that they wanted to give him a surprise baby shower!

I was very excited about this because I love to hear the funny things kids say and couldn't wait to see what they would bring for Emily and for Ben! When they came in, they were so excited! Since the shower was supposed to be a surprise, Ben did a great job of acting like he didn't know what was going on when they started handing him presents. The other Awana leaders brought drinks and cupcakes for the kids to have while we opened gifts. So, they chowed down and yelled out which presents he should open in what order! It was so much fun to watch them be excited about what they had brought. They asked questions like, "What is the baby's name?" "Is it a boy or a girl?", and my favorite, "When is the baby's birthday?" Oh, how I wish I knew the answer to that question! :)

Emily got more clothes and we even received some things off the registry, but my favorite gift of all was the simplest! It was not fancily wrapped...in fact, it came in a purple paper lunch sack. Inside was a small bottle of baby wash and 2 quarters. This was not a gift to write home about, but it was from the heart of a child. When we got home that evening, I told Ben how special I thought that gift was. I said, "Do you realize how self sacrificial that $.50 gift was? Do you see how much those kids love you?" That $.50 was most likely part of the child's allowance or some of their savings from birthday money, or a number of other possibilities. The point is, instead of buying something for themselves with it, they chose to give it to Ben and bless us both with their giving heart.

The Lord used that simple gift to teach us what giving is about. It's not about how much you can give; it's the sacrifice behind it. Luke 21:1-4 says: "While Jesus was in the Temple, he watched the rich people putting their gifts into the collection box. Then a poor widow came by and dropped in two pennies. 'I assure you,' He said, 'this poor widow has given more than all the rest of them. For they have given a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has.' "

The Lord also used that simple gift to remind us that we're each to have the heart of a child. Matthew 18:1-4 says: "About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?' Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. Then He said, 'I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.' "

Every time I think about that gift, I tear up at the thought of the love behind it and the lessons the Lord brought to me through it. Thank you, Awana kids, for blessing us so!