Sheila Sims Iding
Today was the day. We have been waiting for over a month for this day. It didn’t mean much to them a month ago but as the day drew closer it started to take on a more powerful meaning. Today we took a special walk for the first time. Today we walked over to church and took each coin and each dollar bill from our poor bank to put in the St. Vincent de Paul poor box.
Before we left we talked about what we were doing. We talked about how it didn’t matter which kids put money in the bank this month and which ones didn’t. This was a team effort and we would empty the bank and each one would have a chance to put money in the poor box. We never count the money. It doesn’t matter how much we give. Just that we give. God doesn’t look at dollar signs in a total. He looks at charity in a heart.
We talked about how we had eaten breakfast this morning and how some kids are so poor they don’t have breakfast. We talked about how some kids go to bed hungry and wake up hungry and when they ask their mom for food she has to tell them there isn’t any food. I got a bit weepy thinking about it and some of them cried too. Some of them got it. They got that there are people in need…kids in need…and we can help. It can be our monthly Care Corner Mission.
We talked about how our money could buy a box of cereal or some eggs and that because of our money a mom can tell her kids she made them breakfast. One little girl said “I put in 4 quarters and then 4 quarters more.” “Is that $2.00?”, she asked. When I told her it was she asked if that would be enough for a kid to have breakfast. I said if they bought a loaf of bread with the $2.00, the whole family could have toast for breakfast. Oh how I wish you could have seen her smile at that thought.
So each child carefully held the coins in their little hands all the way to church. I told them that doing a special job for God is called a mission. When we stood at the church doors before we went in, we ask God to help us to do this mission. Mrs. McKerr and I each took a step-stool as those poor boxes are pretty high for little missionaries. As they each stepped up to the poor box, they had a quiet excitement about them as they put their money in.
Once all the money we have collected in September is placed lovingly…caringly…in the poor box, we sit in a prayer circle right in the gathering area of church. We talk about how our hearts feel happy for giving all the money in our bank to the poor...and that becomes the first teachable moment about the Holy Spirit.
On the way back to the classroom our steps are a little lighter and our skips are a little bigger. We don’t have to worry so much about the coins we held so carefully on the way over. We don’t have to worry so much about a poor kid not having breakfast tomorrow. Special walk. Special coins. Special teachable moment(s). Special mission accomplished.
Special note: When I came up from the car line at the end of day, a 3rd grader was waiting there with her mom. She had brought some of her money from home and wanted to put it in our poor bank…just like she did when she was in Care Corner. Our October poor bank already has a loving deposit. Mission accomplished…again.