Reflection on Serving - Kristin Smith

Hogar de Amor is a special place. I've been on lots of mission trips before, but I've never been anywhere quite like this. 

After spending a week with some truly beautiful people, I came home with so many stories and having learned so much.

However, there is one moment that stands out above the rest for me. Although it was a seemingly small and insignificant moment, to me, it was something I'll never forget. 

One of the days we were there, we got to spend a little bit of time with the littles in Casa Cuna, where babies through 6 years old live. Cutest. Kids. Ever. 

Anyway, it was just a couple of weeks before Easter so we brought bags that they could decorate and then they got to do an Easter egg hunt. Before the hunt, we sat on the floor and helped them decorate their bags. I sat and helped these cute little twin girls and a handsome little guy. Then we all went outside and each child was told they could collect just 5 eggs each, so things would be fair among them. Each egg contained 2 small pieces of candy. They came back in and opened all the eggs and most started stuffing the candy in their mouths. I was walking around, taking a few photos, when the little boy I had helped walked up to me and handed me one of his pieces of candy. Then he handed my daughter one, too. We gave him a big thank you for sharing and off he went. 

But I was stopped in my tracks. That little boy only had about 10 pieces of candy, and he had just given 2 away. Immediately I was reminded of Mark 12:41-44 where Jesus highlights the faith of a widow who gave out of her poverty. This 3 year old didn't have much, yet out of his limited resources, he gave, and he gave freely and joyfully. 

It was the perfect picture of how my attitude should be about giving, whether that's giving directly back to God through tithing, or through my time or other resources to others. It showed his perfect trust that his needs would be met, so he could freely share what he had.

I struggle with giving sometimes and I want to hold on to what I have. But I desire to have a giving heart like that little boy, and to have the faith of a child. I pray that now when it comes to giving, I will remember him, and I will give with a cheerful heart.