My 6 year old nephew made the Bible come alive for me this week.  I spent the last week in Colorado helping my sister and her husband with their children since she delivered their fourth and final child six weeks ago.  On the last day of my trip, just hours before heading to the airport to leave, I was cuddling the baby when my sister disappeared down the hall.  I didn’t think much of her disappearance as we are commonly tending to different children throughout the day.

My sister and brother-in-law are teaching my nephews and nieces how to budget money. The 6 year old has four jars labeled “save”, “spend”, “give” and “invest.”  The 3 year old has a bank too, but isn’t old enough yet to understand budgeting.  The 20 month old doesn’t understand anything about money yet.  The 6 year old boy is really into all this high finance since he just learned the power of saving money to buy bigger toys.

As I was snuggling with the baby, the two oldest children came running to me and each one thrust a dollar into my hand.  I asked what was going on, but without answering and without prompting, the 6 year old muttered to himself something about it not being enough and reached back into his “give” jar and stuffed $3 more dollars into my hand.  I began to protest because I didn’t know what was happening.  My sister motioned for me to stop as the 6 year old, talking to himself, reached into his “give” jar a third time and emptied it ($10 total) into my hand. My sister then told them to explain.  The 6 year old looked sweetly into my eyes said, “We want to help you adopt a baby!”  I fell completely apart.  I croaked out a thank you and then had to sit on the coffee table before my knees buckled.  I thanked him a few more times and assured him that my tears were happy tears.  Never has $11 ever meant so much.

After they went off to play, my sister told me that she’d explained adoption to them and told them that Auntie Ba felt called to adopt a child.  She’d then given them the option to donate nothing or something.  It was completely their choice and they both immediately asked for their banks.

My sister’s show of support meant so much.  Until that moment, I wasn’t sure she was in favor of my decision.  While I don’t need anyone’s approval (other than the birth mom), I desperately wanted my sister’s support.  She graciously gave me both support and encouragement when she gave my nephews the opportunity to invest in my calling and my future child’s future.

On the plane ride home, I started to think of the Biblical story of the Widow With Two Mites.  It can be found in Mark 12 or Luke 21.  Jesus was watching people give their offerings at the Temple.  The rich gave large gifts.  Then Jesus saw a widow put two tiny copper coins into the receptacle.  Jesus said that the widow had given more than the rich because while the rich gave from their abundance, the widow had given all she had.  Though it would be used by humans, her offering was a show of faith in God and love for God.

Like the widow, my nephew gave all he had in his “give” jar.  He didn’t have to do that.  He could have held back some or all, but he didn’t.  My sister offered to supplement his gift for an entire puzzle piece, but it wasn’t necessary.  Originally, the puzzle pieces in my fundraiser were $25 a piece, but a few weeks ago I’d felt the Lord ask me to walk by faith and let there be no minimum gift required so that people who wanted to participate could participate no matter what they were able to give.  In spite of that, my sister gave more for the boys and then asked if she could give a little more so the littlest two could also have a puzzle piece.  I offered to give the girls a puzzle piece without another gift, but my sister insisted.

They bathed me in unspeakable love and encouraged me greatly in my calling.

Like the widow, both of my nephews gave with a joyful heart.  It gave them obvious joy to give to help another child who they won’t meet for at least a year and to help their Auntie Ba fulfill her God-given calling to adopt.

Like the widow, I am certain that as much as it touched my heart, my nephews’ offerings pleased God’s heart more than we can even imagine.  While I will be the one using the offerings, they were giving their offerings to God for Him to use to benefit a child who we’ve not met yet but who He already knows intimately.  I could imagine God smiling down on my sister and brother-in-law for teaching their children to love Him and others in such a sacrificial way at such a very young age.

I’m very proud of all of them.

If you’d like, you can participate here: gofundme.com/babyforBethany