Lesson in Love

I have to share a sweet story about Jackson yesterday. We spent the morning at the zoo and had a good, but tiring outing. (I will have to blog later about that) On our way back home we stopped at Dominoes to eat lunch. (The Dominoes here have tables and chairs inside to sit and eat at). While we waited for daddy to get food, Jackson and I sat down at the table and Hudson was asleep in my arms. A young girl came and stood at the window we were sitting by and was begging for money.

Now, this is an everyday accurance here. Poverty is rampant here and the children who are victims of it are often necessitated to beg all day to help provide for their family, (or if they are orphans, they are forced by their exploiter). Living in a culture where poverty is on every street corner and you can't pretend its in some far off land, has been tough. We don't have the answers figured out by any stretch and we are still weighing out how our family should respond to the overwhelming amount of needs here.

Because it is normal life here, our boys are growing up seeing it everyday. We view this as a blessing and pray that God uses it to produce thankfulness, generosity, and compassion in our children's hearts. But we know that they will respond according to the way they see us respond. And in all honesty, I haven't always responded in a way I want replicated by them. But THIS day, I was very proud of my son.

Jackson saw the little girl and lifted his hands to say he didn't have any money. He then asked me if I had any, which I didn't, and said "Mom, can't we just give her a little bit?" So he went and asked his dad for some change and took it out to the young girl. A few minutes later, an even younger girl came by. A precious 4 year old with bare feet, tattered dress, and the most beautiful eyes. He again went and asked his dad for more money and took it out to her. She didn't leave and was signing to us that she was hungry. We signaled for her to wait and when daddy came to the table, Jackson proceeded (by his own inititive) to take her a couple bread sticks, then a slice of pizza, and then a cup of sprite. By the end of it she was feasting on the side walk with quite a smile on her face.

We told jackson that what he was doing was honoring God. That his kindness and compassion towards her was sharing God's love. He said "most little kids in India don't believe in Jesus" and I said, "well they probably have never heard of him." So he said, very matter-of-factly, "well do you think I should go tell her about him?" So then he went out side and sat with her, trying in his way, to tell her about Jesus. After we said good bye, we climbed in the car and he exclaimed, "I wish she was our baby, I wish we could take her home with us." (We felt the same way but tried to explain why it wasn't possible).

I hope and pray that he always has this kind of compassion and conviction to not only show God's love to the needy in deed, but also share Jesus with them in word. That was a gift from God, showing us that He is at work in Jackson's heart, and also a teaching moment for us that our children will mimic our treatment of the "least of these."