A Gift for Jesus

Meet the kids' piggy banks.  On the right is "Sally."  On the left is "The-King-Of-The-North-Pole-With-Cookie-Monster."  That is quite the name, Skyler.  But I can see how a cross-breed of Santa and Cookie Monster would be a pig considering how many cookies he would eat.

 

Anyway.

 

It is impossible for me to keep up with my house.  You've heard the sayings before.  Cleaning up with kids is like tidying papers with a fan on, shoveling snow in a blizzard, or -- my personal favorite -- brushing your teeth while eating oreos.  We noticed that the kids didn't mind cleaning, so long as there was an incentive.  Ben and I decided to start paying the kids an allowance.

 

My life has been changed.  My house isn't 100% clean, but it's cleaner. 

 

We pay them 10 cents per day when they clean (on days when they refuse to do anything they don't get paid) and 25 cents when they do extra.  They don't know what money really is all about, but they know that they want it.  Sad, isn't it?

 

So they've been saving up their money for the last little while and have become so proud of themselves when they empty their little banks and spread out the coins all over the floor.  And we've been proud of them for all the work that they're willing to do.

 

This last Sunday we were scheduled for tithing settlement.  Ben and I agreed that it was time that the kids learned first hand what tithing was all about.  So we got the kids out of bed from their afternoon naps and explained the basics of tithing.  When I told them that they would get to give 1/10 of their money to the bishop, Lily started crying.  I knew she would struggle because she always goes above and beyond, not only trying to do her chores, but also making sure that we're happy with what she's done.  So Skyler got to be the example this time around.  When we told them that the money that we give goes into building churches and temples, etc., he said, "I want to give the bishop all of my money," and he pushed his 10 little piles of coins together toward me.  My heart just about exploded.  Ben and I were so touched by that innocent and sweet gesture, but we agreed that since Skyler is three, it would be best if he still only gave 1/10 since there was a good chance that he would be confused the next day as to why he didn't have any money left in his bank. 

 

Lily finally came around to the idea of paying tithing when we explained the importance of it.  So we gave each of the kids their own tenth of money and let them hold it in their hands on the drive to the church.  We told them that even though we would be giving it to the bishop, it is really a gift to Jesus, and that we would get to wrap it up like a present in an envelope.  They got even more excited about it.  When they handed their money to the bishop they were beaming.  even Lily's 30 cents and Skyler's 21 are contributions.

 

Just a couple of days ago, I sat down with the kids and asked them questions about Christmas.  Of course, Santa was mentioned, but so was Jesus.  When I asked Lily what Christmas was she told me that it's Jesus's birthday.  So I asked her what present she was going to give him.  She told me about how she gave him money to build a temple.  Skyler said the same thing.

 

I'm so grateful that we have tithing settlement just before Christmas.  I never realized how deeply tied they are until I tried explaining it to my kids.  Ben and I have had countless experiences where we knew we were being blessed because we paid our tithing.  I have always sort of thought of tithing as a physical payment for spiritual insurance.  I am grateful for what we have -- that the Lord lets us keep the 90 and makes up for and blesses us for giving the 10.