So about 2 months ago, we started "paying" Brianna when she would help around the house. I don't really believe in an "allowance" (for our family!), if you just hand the kid the money, they won't feel the satisfaction on earning it, and they will probably come to expect it! So when she helps with the dishes (yes, our 3 year old helps with the dishes and loves it!), helps clean the house, or any other chores we ask her to do, she gets a dime. She has a little container in her closet where she keeps her money.
When we started this, we also taught her a very important principle that it great to start at an early age. We told her that everything we have comes from Jesus, and we need to say thank you to Him. One way we can do that is to give him back some of what He gave us. So we told her that when her container was full, we would count the money, and set aside Jesus' money first, then she could go to the store and buy whatever she wanted!
This morning, she put another dime in, and I asked her if she wanted to go pick out something today. She was SO EXCITED! She had been working very hard to save her coins. We dumped the money out, and although it wasn't very much, she was so proud! I asked her what do we do first with the money. She told me, "Put some coins in the plate at church". I asked her why we did that...she said "To give the money to Jesus to say Thank You!" SHE GETS IT!! My heart was so proud and happy. But that was nothing. What was going to happen next would just blow me away.
We went to Dollar Tree, because she ended up only having about $2, so she really could only spend $1. Which to a 3 year old, is ALOT! So we went in the store, and we went to the two aisles where I told her she could look. We went to the books first, because she loves to be read to. On one of the shelves was a stack of white books. She asked what the books were, and I told her that they were Bibles. They weren't pretty little kid's Bibles, with pictures and colorful pages. They were just simple, tiny worded Bibles with pretty white covers. She said, "Ok Mom, what else is there?" So we went to the other aisles with all of the bubbles, toys, puzzles, and dolls. She took her time, looked at EVERYTHING, then I asked her what she wanted. She looked up at me, turned her head, and said, "Mom, I want that white Bible back there." I was shocked. I asked her if she was sure, and she said, "Yes Mom, I want the Bible to take to church. Can I take it to church?" I said yes, and then she took the Bible to the register. She handed it to the lady, gave her the coins, and told her "I'm buying this with my money. I'm going to take it to church with me when I give Jesus the thank you coins." The cashier looked at me like "Are you serious?" I mean, what 3 year old does that? I just nodded, couldn't say a word, and then watched as the cashier wrapped the Bible up, handed it to Bri, and said "Thank you sweetie."
I will never know what kind of an impact that might have made on that lady, but I know what kind of an impact it made on me. My kids do listen! And this made me realize even more how important it is to teach them the things of Christ. Only eternity will tell what that one white Bible will have in the years to come.
