Friday, May 6, 2011

Childlike Love

I want to be as good as my children. I want to love like they love. I want to feel with such passion, the way they do.

On Saturday night I took Sarah and Violet to Unshakeable Kingdom: Japan Relief Concert. They were a little confused - I guess they thought Jeremiah was going to be singing songs off the radio. When I realized this I was amused. Because then I totally wanted to see Jerimiah rocking out to 'Fire Work' or doing his rendition of 'Mean.'

But that wasn't the type of music we were about to enjoy. We got to participate in a full on gospel concert. It.was.awesome. There were people "amen" - ing and "hallelujah" -ing and "praise the lord" ing left and right. They were dancing in the aisles and raising their hands to the Lord. Hips were swaying, heads were bobbing, hands were clapping. I was in heaven. Violet didn't know what to make of it. Our church is a bit more . . . reserved. When the first guy stood up and raised his hands, Sarah asked me what he was doing. I told her he was worshiping Jesus, just like we do, but in a very joyful way. And that she could join in. Her little hands shot into the air right away.

In between performances there were video's of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan. Violet and Sarah watched and actually asked quite a few questions. They listened to Jeremiah talk about why he doing this concert and they understood. On March 11, Jeremiah was at the airport getting ready to board an airplane to Japan when the earthquake hit. He was a missionary there for 2 years and was getting ready to go back to see some of his Campus Crusade For Christ friends. So this tragedy has touched Jeremiah in a very personal way. And this concert was his way of giving back.  (In case you haven't realized it yet, Jerimiah is an incredible guy. I didn't fully understand just what a great, compassionate, kind man he was until the night of the concert. )

[caption id="attachment_815" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sarah, Jerimiah, Violet"][/caption]

Sunday afternoon Sarah was watching Scooby Doo when she suddenly jumped up, ran into the kitchen and said to me, "Mom, we need to help Japan." I told her that we had helped Japan, we'd gone to the concert and given a donation to Jeremiah. He'd make sure the money got to Japan. Then I walked away.

Monday morning at breakfast she stopped eating, looked at Violet and said, "Violet, we have to help Japan. People there don't have houses." Then she and Violet started talking about the video's they'd seen with Jeremiah. About the people who don't have homes, or food. About his friends who are taking trucks full of food to people. About the shaking and the big wave.

Then Sarah said, "Mom, I need to go to Japan."

I explained that she couldn't go to Japan, but that Jeremiah would take the money we'd given him and get food and clothing to the people who needed it. She told me we needed to give Jeremiah more money. I was busy doing dishes. There was cereal everywhere. I said, "Sarah, I don't have any more money to give Jeremiah or Japan. We gave at the concert."

She sat down, played with her bowl, then looked over at her 'Disney Jar.' It's a jar she's been saving all her money in for the last six months or so. She's saving up for Disney World. She hopped down, grabbed her jar and had me empty almost all of it.
Violet followed her with the money she's been saving to get a DS.

John sat there with his fingers in his mouth shaking his head.

We took the money to Jeremiah right then. On the way there I asked Sarah why we were doing this. Why were we giving Jeremiah this money? She told me she had to give Jeremiah the money because Japan needed it, the people needed houses.

And because God tells us to help

.
I want to be as good as my children.

24 comments:

  1. I love them! They are AMAZING!

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  2. This is the most precious thing. Your sweet girls are beautiful, inside AND out!

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  3. I won't even lie to you, I started crying at the end. WOW! How amazing is that?! And what a reflection of how good of a job you & John are doing!

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  4. Oh, this just melts my heart. What a special little girl.

    The concert sounds awesome! I often wish my church were a little less "reserved".

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  5. That is SO sweet. You have amazing girls.

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  6. i totally just cried. this could be lack of sleep but i'm pretty sure it's really that your children are AWESOME.

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  7. What a beautiful story - it actually brought tears to my eyes. YOU are a BIG part of the generous, loving kids they are - be proud, you earned it.

    Happy Mother's day!!!

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  8. Wow! They are amazing kids!! Good job, Momma!

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  9. Welcome to the ranks of the Holy Rollers! ;)
    Your kids are awesome, and I bet I know where they got it from. You have every reason to be a very proud mom!
    Jodi

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  10. This brought tears to my eyes. How sweet that they thought of that all on their own, what a huge deal for them to give up that money.

    You're a wonderful mom that at their ages those feelings are instilled so deeply already.

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  11. Talk about waterworks!! This one totally me! What amazing, generous and thoughtful children you have. To give of there own, to understand the difference between their wants and others' needs. Wow. And you know what? You are as good as your children. Cause they learned this compassion and faith from you. Nice work Mama!

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  12. Thank you :) I have to say, they really did make me proud.

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  13. Thanks, Kate. And I'll be honest, I was bawling. It wasn't my idea, at all, which really did make me so proud of them.

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  14. It wasn't at my church . . .my church is the definition of reserved. If we sing the 'fast' version of 'Up From the Grave' I get all excited. So this was way beyond anything they'd seen. It was great!

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  15. Thanks, Tara :) I'm guessing it's a little of both!

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  16. Thank you so much, Karen. Every now and again they do something that makes us go, 'huh, maybe I'm not raising deliquents.' :)

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  17. I was grooving! Thanks, Jodi. I hope they continue to be so giving.

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  18. Thanks,Diana. I couldn't believe it when Sarah went to her $$ jar. I was speechless. She's a nut, but what a giving girl.

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  19. Thanks, Alexia. I was totally caught off guard, you know? I mean, we hope that they ae paying attention to the good stuff. Here's hoping!

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  20. You are an amazing mama with some good children, my friend. Well done.

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  21. Thanks, Jess. I was blown away, honestly. You know how you pray you're teaching them the right things and yet you always see them picking up the bad things? This was one time I felt like maybe I'd done something right.

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