April 16, 2012

Isabel, the tooth, and the widow's mite.

A few days ago Isabel lost a tooth. After her daddy pulled it out and after the tears were dried her first words were: “The Toothfairy is coming tonight!” Then carefully, so so carefully, Isabel put the miniscule tooth into a red, Chinese box with a mirror that probably used to contain a fancy lipstick once upon a while. She snapped it sealed and placed it under her pillow. She fell asleep with her whole torso over that pillow, protecting her treasure fiercely.

And the Toothfairy came. This sneaky fairy tip-toed into Isabel’s room a few hours past the kids’ bedtime to do the job only the Toothfairy can do (or the little white mouse, if you live south of the Texas-Mexico border): to buy the long-wiggled, expectantly-yanked-every-few-days tooth. The exchange rate these days at our house is one crisp dollar bill for one white and tiny pearl. The Toothfairy had to pull and prod and, being careful not to wake her up, take out the little red box, and make the exchange. 

The next morning she ran, hopped, and skipped to our bedroom at a ridiculously early hour, a memory of Christmas morning all over again, with her little red box and more money inside it than a six year old knows what to do with. “Mami! It’s gone! My tooth is gone! And I got a dollar! I got a dollar!” Precious booty to a little girl who does not yet get an allowance and whose parents don’t tend to buy toys beyond Christmas and birthdays. 

Last year I bought her a three-piece piggy bank. It’s shaped like the letters A, B, and C connected, and each letter is a compartment. The A is for giving. This is the money she takes to church each week for Jesus. The B is for saving for bigger items she may want to buy. The C is for spending and this one is usually empty as the concept of “now” trumps the concept of “later” almost every time. 

As we sat at breakfast in the kitchen the morning after she became richer by a dollar I asked her to put her dollar into one of the three compartments so she would not lose it. Without hesitation she said she wanted to put it into the “Jesus” one. Eyes wide I asked: “The WHOLE dollar?” She nodded earnestly and happily. Because I am logical, thrifty, and practical, I offered to exchange her dollar for four quarters. “That way you can put a little into each box,” I suggested. Because she is generous, trusting, and much more obedient than I, she declined. “I want to give the whole dollar to Jesus!” she said. And pride and tenderness spilled out of my eyes. And just a few days before we had discussed our character trait for the month of April and its accompanying verse: generosity as found in 2 Corinthians 9:7


“God loves a cheerful giver”

And she embodies it. Like the little widow who put all she had into the coffers of the temple, so this child gave not from what was left after she bought her new toy, but the whole of her prize, everything she owned. She gave believing she would not lack and out of gratitude for the blessing itself rather than for what the blessing would bring her.  

And I don’t give like that. Ever. I tell myself I give sacrificially as I rationalize how little to give, as I add and subtract, re-arrange the numbers one more time, and frown over pennies and nickels. And when Jesus calls me to give just a little more of my money, my time, my energy, my resources, I grumble and complain and ask “Don’t I give enough already?” 

My children bring me great happiness every day. But every day they also teach me. And they partner with God to point out to me where my faith is lacking, where it’s little. I am the one who chooses the trait of the month for Isabel and Noah to learn to live out. I am the one who chooses the scripture that accompanies it. I am the one who explains it to them. 

Yet they are the ones who model it for me.

20 comments:

HopeUnbroken said...

beautiful story. i love how our kids outdo us in so many ways all the time :-) thanks so much for sharing!
steph

Andrea A said...

Amazing story. I was just reading this morning of Jesus' reminder for us to receive His kingdom as a little child...I think your post beautifully illustrates why He said this.

So glad I stopped on by through SDG.

Jen Ferguson said...

Oh, this has happened to me -- my children living out the Word in a way that I have not been able to surrender myself to do yet. Beautiful story and beautiful children, Gaby. SO glad you shared this with SDG today.

Gaby said...

Thanks, Jen. I think our children are the best refining tool God sends our way!

Gaby said...

Thank you for stopping by. I was reminded of faith like a child as well. When do we lose that innocence and trust?!

Gaby said...

Thank you for stopping by, Steph!

heather said...

Oh to be like that sweet girl of yours.

Eileen said...

What a SWEET story. I love all the lessons we learn from our children!

Kathleen Jaeger said...

I love it even though it is convicting! I love your teachable heart, learning from your children what a beautiful thing. May we always be humble enough to learn from our children.

Debbie said...

This is the first post that I've read today. I slept later than usual so I'm just sitting down with the trusty cup of coffee to enjoy some time with my invisible friends.

And I opened this one.
What a wonderful way for me to start my day. Oh, if I can have the heart of your Isabelle! I think she shows us perfectly why He says to come to Him as a little child. I think the main reason (besides the fact that she has a pure little heart) that she gives with abandon is because it never occurred to her to worry about all her "needs", and she hasn't yet been duped by the world that she "needs" that much. You and your husband have glorified God with the way you are raising her (them). In you, she sees an example of Jehovah Jireh, our wise and loving provider. If I, as an adult, have one prayer request as a giver, it is that I see my God with the confidence of a child and stop micro managing my financial details and having the audacity to tell Him that I'm giving "enough".

Thanks for this post.
It's not just good; it's publishable.

tesha said...

Hi Gabby I saw your comment on en's blog and said a big AMEN! SO I cam over here to meet you. My husband is also a pastor and I have to say I often feel inadequate. I love this post I also learn so much from my children....sometimes I wonder who the teacher is.

Gaby said...

Hi, Tesha. Nice to meet you! Thank you for stopping by. We seem to have much in common.

Pink Dryer Lint said...

Truly beautiful. Your daughter is amazing and I'm completely touched by her open, generous, trusting heart. (And you're an amazing mom!)

soulstops said...

What a precious story about Isabel and her generosity... thanks for sharing, Gaby :)

Mariah Magagnotti said...

Such a lovely, and well-crafted story. Even if its not often that you write, you surely do pack a lot of punch when you do. Love it, and loved meeting you this weekend! I need to know more about this little white mouse part of the tale, though!

Gaby said...

Oh, girl. Thank you for saying that but most days I go to bed thinking of all the ways in which I'm just not equipped for this!

Gaby said...

Thank you for stopping by!

Gaby said...

So good to meet you as well, Mariah! We don't have toothfairy in South America. We have a little white mouse who comes and takes your teeth. So in our house the Toothfairy rides the mouse. Cultural compromise :)

Gaby said...

I am praying by learning this lesson early she won't struggle with it the way most adults (myself included) do.

PS: You are so good for my ego, Debbie ;)

Nancy Franson said...

Love this! So glad you linked it. I have to admit, the tooth fairy who used to visit our house was pretty incompetent. We had many mornings of children waking up only to discover that she hadn't come. We had to do a lot of diversion and distraction and sending the kids back later to double check whether or not she'd come after all.