Sacrifice: 1. an offering as to God 2. a voluntary loss

Today my sons had to come face-to-face with a decision on what to sacrifice for the good of another person. This was probably the first true challenge for both of them to think about the world outside of their comfortable life.

My children were in their Oak Leaf Kids class and learned about an organization that helps find sponsors for children in third world countries. Compassion was the main topic of the adult service as well, and as soon as I picked my kids up, they were both talking at once about boys and girls who need food, water and a place to sleep. I was quite surprised at their enthusiasm to be a sponsor, but also proud they felt the need to give.

We selected our child, and immediately the suggestions of what to send him started flowing. Both boys were randomly picking items from their room that we could just box up and send off. I tried to explain that we would send money to our new friend, and then his family could get items they needed.

So I asked my boys, “What do you want to give up each month, so we can send money to our new friend?” Again, random items were suggested, nothing that really would require them to sacrifice at all.

After a few lengthy conversations about “all they had” and what others “don’t have” it finally began to register that to help our new friend they would have to “sacrifice” something. As a family we chose to reduce our TV channel package to the minimum offering and send the money saved to our new friend in Africa.

The boys lost a most of their favorite channels, which in a few weeks they won’t even remember, but they will gain so much more as we see what our “small sacrifice” will do for our new friend.

-Shelly