Lent this year...

We have two themes this year that our family is exploring for Lent -- generosity and thankfulness.

Lent started a little early for us on Friday the 8th for us (even though Ash Wednesday was the 13th) when my youngest brought home her "love loaf" bank from MOPS and our conversation about generosity started.  As we attended church Sunday and my older two picked up their banks the conversation continued.  We have a tradition of collecting money for the people of the AFAR as you can see from past year's posts. 

As I walked into Walgreens later that afternoon with my daughter and we stopped to visit with a girl who was asking for money generosity took on new meeting.  What was the generous thing to do?  We could spare the $20 the girl was asking for but I believe there are better ways to help the homeless.  It certainly would have been the easier choice to continue my walk rather than slowing and  visiting with her and learning her story.  I don't know if I made any difference in her life...I like to think we offered a small glimmer of hope that evening as we shared some options for housing and shelter but I think more than likely she is still on the street.  I do know she impacted our lives as I got into the car and had my daughter ask, "Mommy, how do you live on the steet?"  My reply of, "I don't know," met a ready question of "Why didn't you ask her?"  Unlike myself that had no interest in living on the street my sweet daughter wanted to know why I wasn't availing myself to this girl's expertise...  While there was part of me that wanted to instantly reassure her that she would never live on the street who am I to know what her future holds...what choices she will make...what life has in store in the coming years.  I have heard too many stories...know real people...
As I thought that night of my daughter's willingness to explore another lifestyle and what I would want for her if someone one day met her on the street corner I had to wonder if I shouldn't have gone for the quick $20 fix...it might not have changed the future for that girls but as temperatures dipped into the 30s that night she would have been warm and protected...
What does it mean to teach my children generosity?  While we collect our change for people in the AFAR and talk about caring for others who live far away how do we deal with the needs on our own streetcorners?  While we reflect on all the things we have to be thankful for http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/03/how-to-help-raise-grateful-kids/  I have to wonder where the words stop and the action begins.  What happens if my children really "get" the concept of generosity and challenge the way we live, the decisions we make?  Where do we "draw the lines" of caring for others and caring for ourselves?  What can we really afford to give away?  Am I truly willing to embrace the story of the widow's mite...and give all I have? (Mark 12:44 and Luke 21:4)  What does it mean to live with generosity?