Moments like these...

Wednesdays are long days for Ava. She has to get up for school in the morning and then has swimming lessons at 4 pm. After swimming lessons she likes to hang out in the pool and practice what she has just learned that day. (She is doing awesome, by the way. Five lessons and she is swimming by herself!) By the time we get home and get supper on the table, it is usually later than other days. Today was no exception. I either plan on leftovers for supper on Wednesdays, or a meal that is quick to prepare, and tonight I decided to fry some fish that has been in the freezer. So I am in the kitchen frying away, and Ava is hanging on me, whining and fussing about how hungry she is, and when is it time to eat. She has had several snacks throughout the afternoon, and it is only 6:00 pm at this point, we will be eating by 6:15. I ask her a couple of times to just be patient, we will eat in a few minutes, and I don't want her to have a snack because I want her to eat her supper. Then comes this phrase out of her mouth, "But Mo-om, I'm STARVING!" complete with collapsing to the floor as if she doesn't have the strength to stand just one more minute. I have a problem with the word starving when it is used inappropriately. We are NOT starving, not even a little. There are people that are starving and die from starvation every day, and it bothers me to know that when I think about the abundance we have here. So I stop, lay down my spatula on the stove, and sit down beside her. I told her that sometimes we forget to be thankful that we even have good food to eat. And I tell her that there are children in the world that really are starving, and that starving means being sick from not having enough to eat. So sick that you might die. I told here there are kids in the world that didn't have any food to eat at all today, sometimes they don't get to eat for days. I tell her I am sure she can wait patiently a few minutes for supper to be ready. She thinks about this, and I don't hear another word about it. We eat our dinner, Ava and Luke play for a few mintues while Andy and I clean up, then it is time for pajamas and bed. We tuck them in, say prayers, and head downstairs. After 20 minutes, Ava comes down stairs, and finds me in my office, working on my computer. Our conversation goes like this:

Me: "Do you need something Ava?"
Ava, very troubled: "Mom, are there really kids in the world that didn't have any food today?"
Me: "There really are. It makes me sad."
Ava: "It makes me sad too. Can we send them some food tomorrow?"
Me, trying not to cry: "I think we can do something."
Ava, still serious: "Mom, do the kids that don't have food not have toys either?"
Me: "Probably not. If they do, not many."
Ava: "Can we send them some toys, too? I would like to pick something out of mine and give it to a little girl."
Me: "That would be really nice, sweetheart. We will do it right away in the morning."
Ava, still thinking hard: "Do you think there are little boys that don't have toys? I will ask Luke if he wants to give some of his toys away in the morning. Is that OK?
Me, now really trying not to cry: "Ava, I think that is a great idea. I am proud of you for wanting to help other people."

It is moments like these that makes parenting so worthwhile. Not because I think I have parenting figured out, or that I am a great parent, because I am far from where I want to be. But to see the compassion and desire for action to do the right thing is truly amazing. What a tender heart! How humbling to think that God entrusts these little hearts to us to shape and grow them to be like Jesus. May it be a responsibility I never take lightly.