Dinosaur and Cookie Generosity

Former readers will affirm that generally this blog concerns itself with 1) encouraging generosity, and 2) chronicling cute things my kids say and do... and infrequently both at the same time.

Today, however, I am proud and joyful as I share a lesson the kids learned last night about being generous:

Background: As we departed for a recent car-trip vacation, each child got to pick one thing to take on the trip for a bedtime buddy. Nathan choose a stuffed T-Rex and Elise choose, her Special Little Blankey. At one point late in the trip, Elise says to Nathan: "Can I please have your special dinosaur?"

Nathan: "No, honey."

Elise: "Pleeeease?"

-- Now at this point, I turned around and noticed Nathan was not even using the dino, so I said: "Nathan, I want to tell you something. You do not have to give your dinosaur to Elise... but I think it would be very generous if you would give it to her."

Nathan: "So you said 'I don't have to' so that mean it's okay if I don't give it to her."

Daddy: "You don't have to, but I want you to do it. Please do it for me, as a favor?"

Elise: "Pleeeeeeaasssse, Nay thin?!"

Nathan: (gripping the stuffed dino more tightly now) "No."

-- About this time we arrived at a restaurant and a rare thing happened: I had a rare moment of pure clarity and faith as I prayed God, while we are seated at dinner, please provide a remarkable opportunity to teach about generosity. The Lord answered that prayer...

Each of their meals came with an adult-sized chocolate chip cookie. God showed me this was the moment. I started to review what happened with the dino, and to help him understand that generosity is a good thing precisely because we "do not have to" give. Its the freedom of it that mirrors Christ's wonderful work of dying on the cross for our sins. I must say, to the Holy Spirit's credit, I was eloquent.

I began to come to my point, saying: "...Like that chocolate cookie you have there, I know you really want it. And you do not have to share it with anybody, but--"

Nathan then astounded me. He took his cookie, tore it right in half, and handed me one half. This is huge because if there is one thing that consistently causes him to have a total melt down it is even the suggestion that you want to share his dessert at any meal.

The real icing on the cake came later, when Elise, following suit, gave Becky her very last chip-filled bite of her cookie. Seeing this Nathan said "Good job, honey!"

Since this, Nathan has been very willing to be generous with his T-Rex, as seen below.