Children are Such Great Examples

One of my favorite things to read about in the scriptures is anything having to do with children. "And a little child shall lead them". "Suffer the children to come unto me". "Become as a little child..." There are many more; and if you look through my scriptures, you will find them all highlighted.

Their hearts that are so open to serving others and the smiles on their faces when the task is done are great things that touch my heart.

Holli had written on her blog about Gabi and her reading a book about "Pennies for Peace". I remember when she came to the house and Eric gave her a ziploc bag full of pennies. Oh, if only I had had a camera at that moment. The look on her face was not so much "wow, that's a lot of pennies", it was more "wow, look how many pencils and notebooks I will be able to supply for children in other countries that don't have pencils and notebooks". There was not a selfish bone in her body. Look at this picture:
Gabi had broken into her own piggy bank to retrieve all the pennies that she could. She gave up her money so that children in a far away place could have such simple things as pencils and notebooks. Children are so unselfish, so tender hearted.

One day Gabi was driving somewhere with me in my car. A big ziploc bag of pennies was laying on the floor by the front seat because they were supposed to be taken to the bank to go in the coin machine so I could exchange them for cash. When Gabi looked at me and said "wow, that's a lot of pennies. Are those for me grandma?" I knew she wasn't asking for them for herself. Her comment to me after I had told her yes was immediately, "I don't think all of these will fit in my jar for pennies for peace". Only once possibility for that, "Gabi, you are going to have to get a bigger jar or two jars".

Such innocence, such generosity, such love for other children. Look at this picture (Ok, look at it sideways):
What a smile. Gabi will find one penny on the floor or on the ground, and she picks it up saying "this will go in my pennies for peace jar". She never mentions her piggy bank.

Why is it that children don't think of themselves so quickly, but they are so quick to think of others? There is a special Christlike love inside of them...the pure love of Christ....charity.

I don't have pictures of Braydon; but he was in a Bike-a-thon at his pre-school. He came into our house with an envelope; and in a polite, quiet voice asked, "Would you like to give money for the sick children when I ride my bike?" No mention of him riding in the heat, all that work, I should get money for myself. All he cared about were the sick children.

Sick children, children with no pencils, no notebooks, no crayons.

"Become as a little child..."--I get it now.