Kind and Generous

Over the course of the last few months, the boys and I have launched into reading a Bible story at the conclusion of our breakfast. The vintage Arch books of my childhood whose clever rhymes have quickly enamored my children and even stilled the usually restless Russell and Elliot are hands down our favorites. There is one story in particular that each of the boys are inclined to choose when their turn comes around, despite the ripped out pages carefully tucked inside (thank you Elliot). Entitled The Boy Who Gave His Lunch Away, it chronicles the story of the feeding of the five thousand from the perspective of a fictional character named Joel.

Hoping to catch sight of a king and a bit disappointed when he finds a rather poor looking man named Jesus, Joel is presented as the young boy who offered up the five loaves of bread and two fish his mother had packed for him in order to quell the hunger of the masses who had congregated to hear Christ's teachings and witness His miraculous healings. What has increasingly struck me each time is the beauty of how one person's willingness to cheerfully deny himself and generously give something away - something as sparse as a couple loaves of bread and fish - resulted in such lavishness and unveiled the kingdom of love which Christ's coming inaugurated; a kingdom which we catch glimpses of each time someone reaches out and selflessly comes to the assistance of another.

Last weekend all the planning, collecting, pricing, and arranging for our fundraiser garage sale finally materialized. As dark clouds threatening rain filled the sky early Thursday morning, we dragged countless tables overflowing with items donated to our cause out onto the driveway, the front lawn, and in the garage itself. Despite the abundance, my parents' basement, living room, hallway, and back patio testified to the overwhelming kindness of the fifty plus donors. Over the course of our three day sale, items remained scattered in these various locations as we attempted to get out everything we had received. While there were some larger items which fetched a few more dollars, most of the things sold were small - books and VHS tapes for a quarter, knicknacks which were rarely priced over fifty cents, hundreds of records for a dime each. The nickels, dimes, and quarters, however, added up and by the end of the sale on Saturday, we had raised $1,815. Moreover, we received several monetary donations, $1,270 to be exact, so that we surpassed our goal of $3,000 (the amount needed for our upcoming dossier fee).

With the exception of a few stray bags of clothes which never made it out to the sale, my parents' living room, bedrooms, and hallway have more or less returned to their normal state. The basement is a collection of leftover items jammed into boxes which we will attempt to sell next month. Thank God and thank you all, friends and strangers, for your kindness and generosity. Truly, we never would have come this far without you.

"...let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." I John 3:18

A special thank you to my parents', Ray and Charlene Swanson, my mother-in-law, Linda Johnson, and our dear friends, Doug and Kim Nimrick, who stored all our donations (Paige noted that the Nimrick living room does not look the same without 3,000 records stacked against the wall); to Susan Curry and Kim Nimrick who graciously offered their time that first frenzied day (we never would have survived without your help); to my oldest friend, Julie DeBruyckere who helped us pack everything back up; to Sue Swanson, not only for your help but for knowing how I "flavor" my coffee and buying me a big cup; to Mike and Kathy Johnson for the much needed tables; and to Cathe Otto and Sharon Tyrrell for helping out with my sweet boys.