Wow you guys, I’m shocked. I had to go back and reread yesterday’s post because you all had me wondering if I wrote what I thought I wrote.
I seriously thought you were all going to tell me I ought to get over myself and let the Boy give away the garage I was getting so emotional over.
Thank you for your good advice and ideas.
I had already explained to the Boy at the end of our conversation why I was conflicted. I told him about buying toys for him, as the oldest, with an eye to what would last for many children to come. I explained the cost of replacing things like that and told him honestly that I wasn’t sure if it was a useful thing to give away. (Bridge of Hope, is a non-profit run by a friend at our church that provides furniture and household goods for free to refugee families in City Heights, San Diego, among many other things. I forgot to link yesterday. The kids have gone to their Thanksgiving dinners and played with these kids. They have all purchased and wrapped toys for them to get for Christmas as part of our St. Nicholas Day celebration.)
“I could build Bam Bam a garage to play with. I could use my tools and make him one. It would be really cool with a lot of different levels.” This was his solution to my dilemma.
Then I placed my hands on both of his cheeks and said, “Hey, I really like you Boy. I like your heart and who you are becoming. Let me just have a while to pray about this and figure out how to answer you ok?”
“Ok,” he answered, that sideways smile creeping over his face the way it does when he’s trying to be guarded about letting me see just how much what I said means to him.
I’m going to let him build a new garage for his baby brother. Thanks to Aaron’s work in finish carpentry we have scraps of teak just laying in the woodpile. If he manages to build a toy out of it it would be really cool, way cooler than what we have now.
But, I’m not going to let him give away the garage until he’s built it’s replacement.
He’s already set aside a little case with a starter Lego kit for Bam Bam. I’ll let him give the rest away.
Man, this parenting thing is hard you guys. I want him to be able to hold things lightly, to not let them rule him. I also want him to learn to steward well what he’s given and use it wisely.
Heck, I want to learn that myself.
How do you do that?
********
Well, I hit publish on this and then my friend Connie, who is one of the best most generous people I know added her comment.
I think he should be able to give them away. Bam Bam is too young to play with them now; he will have birthday and Christmas gifts to come.
I feel so strongly about this but I’m having a hard time putting my feelings and thoughts into words(I’m not a writer.). Matthew 17 – 19 sums it up. The lesson of giving unselfishly and trusting in God to provide for your needs, wow! We can all learn this lesson again and again.
Can I change my answer? ‘Cause I kinda think she’s right.