In my hand

They were so little.

I watched my daughters, mere toddlers, playing near each other in the family room on the carpet, each with a toy of her choosing.

My youngest asked my eldest for the bauble she was currently enjoying. This was an unwelcome request, so eldest daughter searched the sprawl of toys in orbit around her. She selected one and handed it ever so sweetly to her younger sister. One might expect me to have been proud at that moment, delighting in the so-called sharing that had just taken place.

But I wasn’t.  Read More

Behind the Sign

His eyes were a piercing blue. I might never have known.

On Sunday, our church supplied everyone with a ‘care package’ of sorts for us to give to a homeless person or someone with similar need. The cinch sacks contained a blanket for a cold night, a fresh pair of socks, some granola bars, a beanie, a small gift card and a water bottle. Stowing it in the car makes it ready for giving when the need presents itself. One morning this week, as we left to run errands, I nearly took it out of the car because it was something of a nuisance underfoot. Read More

Plates of Plenty

It was one of the most significant meals our family has ever shared.

Part of my duty as a Christian parent in a first world country is to educate my children that their abundance is a gift from God not meant exclusively for them but to be shared.

There are multitudes of ways to convey this message to them: mission trips, books, and child sponsorship, to name but a few. As I reflected, I found a growing desire to facilitate a memorable evening for our family as a teaching tool on the Gospel’s exhortation to social mercy.  Read More