The Old Man and the Red Kettle

The old man sat behind the hanging red pot, ringing the same old bell. The same bell that has been rung for over 120 years, collecting money for people in need in our communities. He looked our way as we headed his direction. I had rummaged through my change purse in the car a few minutes prior to find enough coins so that all four of my kids would have something to put in the kettle. They dutifully took turns happily pushing the money through the small slot. The old man looked up at me, and said, "Thanks for teaching them to give." And we walked into Walgreens.

That was it. But truth be told, I haven't been able to get what he said out of my mind since that day almost two weeks ago. "Thanks for teaching them to give," he had said. I hadn't thought of that. I wasn't trying to teach them anything. It was just a little bit of change after all.  I gave them the coins to put into the kettle because I grew up putting coins that my mom gave me into the kettle.

And then it hit me - EVERYTHING we do with our kids IS something we're teaching them.

I try so hard to just be an average mom - keeping my kids busy in baseball, basketball, art, music, dance, playdates. Because that's what every "good" mom does, right? We're just trying to do what we're supposed to do. Give the kids opportunities, keep them busy, not feel guilty because "Sue" down the road let's her kids do more activities than I let mine do. Trying not to hold them back "just in case" they might be a prodigy in something!

But am I missing it? We're teaching, every day, every minute. What are we teaching them?

The old man reminded me that it's time to slow down. To slow down and teach on purpose the important things in life. It's time to STOP being  "average mom" and be "on purpose" mom. Time to stop overfilling our time so much with things that won't matter in ten years, and filling it with things that will. Things that make children into great adults. Things that build great habits.

We put money into the kettles we pass because my parents taught me by putting coins in my hand as a child that that's what we do. It's a habit they instilled in us. I have to sneak past a kettle now if I don't have money to put into it because I feel guilty!

Small things, on purpose.

All of the sudden I'm glad my living room is a mess. It's a mess because we're filling Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes with the things we've collected all year long. We have everything spread out all over the floor. The fact is,  I would be embarrassed if someone stopped by. But we're building "habits:"

I'm also glad for the glue that is permanently embedded in my nice black shirt. I still wear the shirt, and every time I do, I remember the parachutes that we put together to send radios into countries that are closed to the Gospel. It's a reminder to pray for those people. And we're building "habits."

I choose to be glad when money is tight, and it's time to send our sponsorship funds to a tiny girl in Indonesia. I'm glad because it's teaching my kids that there is so much more to the world than their world. It's teaching them to be compassionate, to care for others, to give.... To build "habits."

Every day, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, on purpose finding purpose in the every day. Giving our kids purpose, Teaching them to give, to care, to be compassionate, to notice the world around them. And may it become a habit!

May we not be so busy keeping our kids busy that we don't take the time to teach them the small important things that someday will grow into beautiful.

This Christmas I'm thankful to the old man that sits behind the red kettle at Walgreens for reminding me to slow down and teach my children to give.