She mentioned it to me on the drive to see her daddy, the cardboard kid's box lunch she'd seen in the store before.
"It has a juice box and a sandwich and your own little bag of chips!" In her sparkly, dancing eyes it was the most specialist lunch EVER!
"Aw, that's so cute! Maybe we can get something like that someday..." I offered, knowing (both she and I)
"It has a juice box and a sandwich and your own little bag of chips!" In her sparkly, dancing eyes it was the most specialist lunch EVER!
"Aw, that's so cute! Maybe we can get something like that someday..." I offered, knowing (both she and I)
that those aren't typically the type of thing our family buys x10. Sweetest Olia nodded, still smiling.
We were on our way to our usual library picnic, but stopped in to the market for fruit along the way. Quickly we gathered some apples and grapes while the others, including Olia, waited in the van. And there it was on the refrigerated shelf. That cardboard lunch box complete with even a fruit roll and cookie!! It lured my mama-heart in. I wanted to spend that $3.99 for my precious daughter so bad! But what of the other 9 picnicking children? I wasn't about to spend $40 on box lunches but getting just 1 for Olia didn't seem fair.
Then it happened.
We were on our way to our usual library picnic, but stopped in to the market for fruit along the way. Quickly we gathered some apples and grapes while the others, including Olia, waited in the van. And there it was on the refrigerated shelf. That cardboard lunch box complete with even a fruit roll and cookie!! It lured my mama-heart in. I wanted to spend that $3.99 for my precious daughter so bad! But what of the other 9 picnicking children? I wasn't about to spend $40 on box lunches but getting just 1 for Olia didn't seem fair.
Then it happened.
My 2 older girls, growing up before my eyes, the ones who love their sister like I do, like He does...they rallied for Olia's lunch box. They convinced me that she would love it and the rest of the gang might be better off for learning a lesson in "being happy for someone else". Literally, that's what they said and I was encouraged. But the mom in me knew I was opening a can of worms. I had a choice to make: Avoid the potential conflict or face it head on. Seeing the value in the latter, I scooped up that lunch box and the big sisters gleamed.
We couldn't WAIT to get to the car!
All 3 of us excitedly skipped to the parking lot, carrying our surprise loot.
All 3 of us excitedly skipped to the parking lot, carrying our surprise loot.
Olia hopped out the side door to help us load bags when we handed her 1 just for her.
Ahh...the smile on Olia's face!
Ahh...the smile on Olia's face!
It lit up the whole world for a moment! We will all savor it as a reminder. The way my older daughters felt as they were happy for her will make them better mamas, sisters, wives, friends, humans. And it's a good thing because the story didn't end there.
Predictably, our other van-waiting little people didn't quite yet get the memo on the being happy for Olia part. They much preferred to have gotten a treat of their own and some were quite vocal about the whole thing. (Nameless little sinners of course.) BUT, never fear! We turned it for a teachable moment ending with the other treat I had gotten for them Mom-on-it style. We discussed as a group how much we all love Olia and how the Bible says to put others before yourself, to be kind to one another, to do to others what we would want them to do to us. And gradually they got it. Even the most disgruntled sibling had a change of heart and found joy for Olia, a selfless "happy for her" joy that we would have missed if I'd avoided the conflict all together. It was a memory made, only to be matched by the serenity on Olia's dear face that shone as she ate her special lunch at our picnic, savoring every last bite.
And wouldn't you know it! The queen of hearts found a heart shaped chip in her bag,
Predictably, our other van-waiting little people didn't quite yet get the memo on the being happy for Olia part. They much preferred to have gotten a treat of their own and some were quite vocal about the whole thing. (Nameless little sinners of course.) BUT, never fear! We turned it for a teachable moment ending with the other treat I had gotten for them Mom-on-it style. We discussed as a group how much we all love Olia and how the Bible says to put others before yourself, to be kind to one another, to do to others what we would want them to do to us. And gradually they got it. Even the most disgruntled sibling had a change of heart and found joy for Olia, a selfless "happy for her" joy that we would have missed if I'd avoided the conflict all together. It was a memory made, only to be matched by the serenity on Olia's dear face that shone as she ate her special lunch at our picnic, savoring every last bite.
And wouldn't you know it! The queen of hearts found a heart shaped chip in her bag,
noting the odds of her lunch being the one with such a lovely find!
And so we picnicked and prayed and played and smelled roses. We ate sour gummy worms and cookies as we chatted in the gazebo and climbed trees. We thanked the Lord for Olia and for the lessons we learned at lunch: It's better to give than receive and better than selfishness is it to be honestly, genuinely, sincerely, and truly for reasons that God says matter, happy for her.
And so we picnicked and prayed and played and smelled roses. We ate sour gummy worms and cookies as we chatted in the gazebo and climbed trees. We thanked the Lord for Olia and for the lessons we learned at lunch: It's better to give than receive and better than selfishness is it to be honestly, genuinely, sincerely, and truly for reasons that God says matter, happy for her.
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves."
Philippians 2:3
