A friend mentioned that her little girl wants to keep everything she makes and being home all the time, that’s a lot to keep. Alas, with isolating children can cling more to items and start hoarding. Added to that is the talk of parents trying to get toilet paper and other items that are in short supply and stocking up on them. That encourages hoarding. Instead, when we see extra at the store, we can pick up some for an elderly neighbor or for a food shelter and show we are thinking of other people.

We don’t want children developing a mindset that they must hold onto things. I encouraged my friend to talk before starting an art project about making the item as a gift for a friend. She can promise that once she has several made they can do a drive by giving trip to drop off the presents she made. My friend liked the idea and always likes to encourage her daughter to think of other people.

We need to watch our children’s habits and make sure they have the mind of Christ. If we step back we may find we need to change our own mindset too Do we grumble too easily, grab extra supplies at the store to hoard, or forget to trust that God is in charge even during the tough times? We should take advantage of teachable moments to encourage generosity and faith.

I remember one day I returned with my young son from buying groceries. I realized I bought extra eggs and bread by mistake. I thought my son may have distracted me or copied me and added the same items I picked up, but decided to use it as a God opportunity. I said, “God must have a plan for these extra and that’s why we ended up buying them.”

Just then the doorbell rang. A teen neighbor asked if we could give him a few slices of bread because his parents lost their jobs and he was so hungry. My son said, “God had us buy extra bread. He knew someone else would need it.” He got the eggs and loaf of bread and gave them to the young man.

I explained that I had no idea why I bought extra of those items and had just told my son that God must have a plan for them. My neighbor looked amazed and thanked us. He opened the bread and stuffed some in his mouth. That day left a big impression on my son and I’m thankful that he became a generous young man.

Develop a generous mindset where you think of others first and trust that God has plans for your abundance.

Blessings,
Karen