Morality Monday--G is for Generosity

"Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap." (Luke 6:38)

In the Catholic church, Lent is a perfect time to focus on Generosity, but it is always a good thing to teach our children. This Scripture reminds us that the more we give of ourselves and the more we use our gifts for God's glory, the more room we will have to receive the good things that He has in store for us. Giving and generosity is sometimes a hard concept for young children to understand, since they want every toy to be "mine," and we constantly have to remind them to share. But, adults are often selfish too; we may not have problems sharing our toys, but we often have problems really sharing with those who are less fortunate than us. So, use this week to work on giving!

Elle holding our Rice Bowl

Every Lent, we receive a little cardboard box to take up donations for Operation Rice Bowl, and this is a great way to continue focusing on giving throughout Lent. Many people fast once a week and use the money they save to give to Operation Rice Bowl, but you could also have your children forgo getting a toy or some other special treat and have them put that money in the donation box.

If you don't have an Operation Rice Bowl box, make your own and contribute money to a charity of your choice. Compassion International is another great organization, and your children can help you choose a child to sponsor. This way, they can put a face with the donation, and they will receive letters and pictures of their new friend in a faraway country. A group of bloggers actually just went to Uganda on behalf of Compassion, and there are some great stories on their blogs. Here are two moms' blogs to check out: BooMama and Rocks in My Dryer (you may have to scroll down a little to get to the stories, but they are definitely worth reading!). Maybe you can even decide to give up something as a family (such as eating out) and contribute that money to your sponsor child instead.

You could also use this week to give not only of your material possessions, but of yourselves. Do a service project for another family or go outside and pick up trash on a street in your neighborhood or (if your children are old enough to help) call the local food bank and volunteer to help out. It is important to always remember how blessed we are and that everything we have is not really ours! And remember, the more we give, the more God will bless us in return!