Giving with what we have

In the midst of our economic recession, prices are skyrocketing especially when it comes to dairy and fresh fruit and vegetables. I read yesterday that cases of infection and diseases such as cellulitis are becoming commonplace in children from lower socioeconomic families. It has been a long time since I brought fruit and vegetables from the supermarket because the prices border on extortion!

Yesterday whilst visiting my friend I took a walk around her garden and found some apple trees, rhubarb and parsley growing,none of which she will use-they will simply rot away. My friend is not the only one, how many people have fruit growing in their back yard that they simply leave to fall on the ground?

Now when I look back to our Grandmothers during the war not one thing went to waste, those lemons would have been turned into marmalade or cordial, the rhubarb stewed and added to hot Oatmeal and the parsley added to one dish or the other. Old shirts were turned into girls dresses, sheets were cut down the middle and the outsides turned in and sewn to get even more wear. Comparing this to the absolute wastefulness of the society we live in is remarkable. If we just shared what we never used imagine the outcome. Children would not go to school hungry, disease would slow considerably and communities would come together to help each other.

My daughter and I sat last night talking about the blessings God has bestowed upon our lives and decided with the surplus God has given us from our own backyard we would begin next week making chutneys,canning fruit and making relishes to distribute at the Salvation Army to give out in Christmas food packages, so far it is not much but it is a start.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says that our giving is not to be done “grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. We should not give because we feel we have to but because in our hearts we truly want to reach out with the love of Christ.

Training our children

When I moved out of home for the first time I really had acquired very little skills in the way of homemaking. I knew how to cook exactly two meals and couldn't sew on a button to save my life. If you had asked me how to launder sheets I would have given you a blank stare. I cannot blame my mother for this, she worked full time and was probably just to exhausted to use her time and energy when it was faster just to do it herself.

Without knowing it I had adopted the same thinking with my own daughter, which is a common attitude to have in our society, not only that but I have heard time after time parents say to me that 'kids should be kids'. It was whilst I was reading a copy of Above Rubies that I realised what a huge disservice I was actually giving my daughter (aged seven). Without realising it I was teaching her qualities of selfishness and laziness as well as an attitude of dependence. When you give a child a chance to be a part of a family unit by contributing they thrive! It is so much easier to start earlier, comparing an enthusiastic toddler to a spoiled teenager it is not hard to guess which one is more likely to enjoy the task.

We started at this year with our first task as dusting, once that was a learned skill we advanced. I am now so proud to say that my darling daughter can now vacuum the house,clean the toilet and bathroom, cook very simple meals, fold the washing, wash and put away the dishes, mop the floor and of course dust. She can also make bread from start to finish and is now learning a passion for cross stitch and gardening. Of course she does not do all of these jobs everyday mostly two or three, but what a blessing it has become to the entire family. In my heart I rejoice knowing that when she leaves this house one day on the day of her wedding she will know how to faithfully serve and take care of her husband and children.

Today one of my rewards came in the form of praise, As my darling girl said to me ' You are the best Mummy in the world for teaching me all these things, no Mummy is better than you. You always teach me new things'. She really is truly grateful for learning these new skills and abilities. As I listened to her singing 'I'm cleaning this house for Jesus' as she folded the clothes I knew she was beginning to develop the blessed gift of a servants heart for our lord.