Lessons From a Thrift Store

Yesterday the kids and I hit the Salvation Army and got a few fun deals. One of our finds was a bouncy, pogo stick type toy that the kids immediately fell in love with. Unfortunately, as anyone with a few kids will understand, the bickering and fighting over the new toy started before we even left the store. Ugh, how did this ugly sin make its way into my minivan so quickly?

When we got home, before I let them play with it, I gathered them together and asked a simple question: "Which do you love more, the pogo stick or your siblings?" They quickly answered with a slightly mumbled, "My siblings." I told them that when they are playing with their new toy and are tempted to fight over it, to then ask themselves that question again.

I can't take credit for this bit of wisdom. I found it in some parenting book, blog, article, or something- I can't remember where. But it stuck with me and I'm hoping that it will stick with the kids, too. My goal is to make them crave and value peace with each other even more than a turn with the new piece of plastic. I want them to love each other so much that any breach in their relationship will be so distasteful and painful that they will quickly work to remedy the situation. I want them to always value relationships over anything material or even over their own comfort.

If, by the grace of God, my children do learn how to love like this, can you imagine what kind of adults they will turn out to be? If they are constantly asking the question: "Which do I love more?" and answering it correctly, then how beautiful will their lives be? How brightly will they shine Jesus' love to a world that needs it so desperately?

But of course, the only way they will learn this love is if they see it acted out first. Which means I need to be asking myself that question every day. "Which do I love more, a moment of quiet or my kids who need my attention?" "Working on my own projects or taking the kids to the park?" "Which do I love more, me or them?"

My heart is selfish and even though I know what the answers should be, I all too often answer them poorly in real life. But there's grace for parents like me and there's grace for kids who fight over pogo sticks. That grace is there because of how Jesus answered this question, "Which do I love more, my life or these unloving sinners' lives?"

And because of His answer, we can strive to answer well, too.