Train Up a Child to be Thankful

My children are very quick to say thank you. They have been taught the value of saying, "thanks" from an early age. No, this isn't where I go on a tangent about how perfect my children are: You can go to an unpleasant place for lying! In fact it's quite the contrary. In spite of the "normal" (whatever) behavior or arguing amongst themselves, they will not eat a meal without first saying thanks. In fact, if I'm in a hurry and start eating before I pray, I am very sternly reminded. They also will say thank you when someone gives them a gift, piece of gum etc. We are not financially well off by any means, but God provides our needs. Yes, I said God provides.

A couple of years back we were working through the church to provide Thanksgiving baskets to those in need. We had a list of around 20 names and had gathered up donations of turkey, ham and all the sides. As we made up the baskets the children were less than enthused to say the least, but I am not the type of parent that allows my children's likes or dislikes control what we do.

As we continued on creating the baskets they began to ask what we were going to do with them when we were finished. When I told them we were going to deliver them to the people, the expected grumbles followed.

We delivered the baskets to the first couple of the families. Much to my dismay, the first two families we delivered to were very rude and unappreciative. One even had the audacity to go through the basket and criticize the contents! Where's a stun gun when you need one...This was not helping! However, Praise God, the next family was very appreciative. As we went into their home, the mother was sitting in a chair reading the Bible to her children. Parts of the floor were gone and you could see the dirt below. They had a small heater in the middle of the room, and simply had no luxuries of life. No T.V., no video games, no ipods or mp3 players. My children were dumb struck.

Still not convinced that my crew had learned all there is to know about being thankful, that Christmas we had again taken names to deliver presents to families who couldn't afford to buy for their children. Again we had a list of around 20 families and had actually raised $250.00 per family! We had all the family members' clothes sizes and genders and wish list so shopping was a blast!

We were only delivering to two families as there were many volunteers. Believe me, I was praying that we had families that would be grateful! The first family we had didn't seem very excited, but were appreciative. The miracle, however, happened with the second family. As we walked into the door of a very small apartment their children met us just inside. Their ages and numbers matched my own, so I saw a very quick interest growing in my children. Understand that my children had left home that morning from a tree full of presents only to walk in this place and find a tree with not a single present underneath. Nothing.

"Daddy, have they already opened their presents?" My middle girl asked. "No honey" I replied "We have brought the only presents they have." My son, who is my oldest, grew very quiet and still. "No presents?" He asked. "None but these" I said. The children of this home began to cry and squeal all at the same time. We had loaded them down with presents, and not just clothing either. Toys they had put on their wish list were being unwrapped by excited hands. The single mother was weeping and the kids continued on in an excited scramble to find all the new discoveries.

After we had left my children were very quiet. They asked a few questions or made a couple of comments but that was it. They couldn't even find anything to argue about. We arrived home and they all disappeared. A short time later I heard thumping and bumping coming down the stairs. Fearing one had tossed the other; I jumped up to see what was going on. My children were dragging down black trash bags, the

big bags, of toys they had gathered up in their rooms. Good stuff too! Not broken toys but some almost brand new.

They asked, "Daddy can we take these and give them to somebody?"

My children had gotten the idea.

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6