"And please bless the kids in Pajan"

(Images from National Geographic)

   Feeling inspired from a recent Relief Society lesson, I decided to base our family home evening lesson this week on giving to others. With the current situation with Japan, I also decided it would be a good thing to talk to Liv about what happened there and teach her a little bit about the earthquake and the tsunami. 

    When we said it was time for family night, Olivia jumped to the occasion. Monday night is, hands down, Olivia’s favorite night of the week.  I know this will change some day, but for now I just love how excited she gets to have family night. In fact, she gets so excited that on most Monday mornings she says to me “What day is it?”, and when I reply that it is Monday, she always excitedly exclaims, “That means tonight is family night!!”.  I think she gets her enthusiasm for calendaring and anticipation of future events from her Aunt Jenny. 

    Warner, however, was not as enthusiastic to come to family night as his big sister, because he was very focused for that moment on messing with the kitchen blinds.  It only took a few seconds of the rest of us singing “If you chance to meet a frown, do not let it stay”, until he too came running. 

    We had our usual opening songs, which almost always include: Smiles, Once there was a Snowman, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Baby Boats. After a prayer we sang a reverent song, As I have Loved You.  Then we began the lesson. While Warner squirreled around, hopping up from couch to couch, Liv listened intently as we told her about the earthquake and tsunami that happened in Japan. After talking about it for awhile, we showed her and Warner some footage of the tsunami in action.  The kids watched intently, as we saw homes, cars, buildings, and local stores being swept away one by one with the powerful current.  Liv hardly blinked, her body sat perfectly still as she stared at the computer screen.

    She quietly asked questions: “But how will they know which house is which”, “Where are the kids toys?", "Where are their clothes going?" "Where is all the food going to go?”. 

    Then she wanted to know where Japan was, so we got on google earth and showed her the globe. Jaron drew a line from our house to Japan.  “Woa” she said, “That’s even farther away then Katelyn’s house!”. 

    After we finished watching the videos and looking at Japan, I asked Liv if there was anything that she thought we could do to help the people in Japan. Her answers were so sweet and sincere: “Maybe we could send a little girl some of my dresses”. . .“We could pray for them”. . . “Maybe we could send them some of our toys, would they like that”?  I could tell that she was really thinking about it. Then I said, “I don’t know how to send them toys, or clothes, but we could send them some money so that they could buy new clothes to wear, and new toys to play with”.  A panicked look ran across her face.  “But, wait! If we send them our money, then we will have no money left for us!!”.  I could tell that she was very concerned at the idea of giving away our money.  Jaron explained that it is a sacrifice to give, but that it is still very important and good to do. We told her we would still have money for us, and told her we weren’t giving all of our money away. 

    After a few minutes of talking with her, Olivia decided that she would contribute some of her own money. We got her little bank down for her and dumped out all of her hard earned money. At first she just looked at it.  Then she decided she didn't want to give anything.  After all, it this is hard earned money.  Money that she has earned from daily violin practice, chores, article of faith memorization, and kind acts of service to others.  Money that she counts and recounts often to make sure its still growing. She is saving up for a barby doll from target that costs $10.00, and ever penny in there counts.  She currently has about $3.45.  After awhile, she finally said “I’ll give them one of the small ones” and she grabbed a dime and put it in the envelope. I told her that, that was a very great choice, and I assured her that when we give some of what we have to those who need it, it makes Jesus very happy.

     We ended the lesson and began eating some chocolate chip cookies, which were fresh from the oven. After a few minutes, Jaron left with Warner to put him down for the night, and I sat alone with Liv who was quietly finishing up her last cookie.  We chewed in silence. And after a little while, I could tell that she was really thinking about something.  Normally Liv is so chatty, especially when eating chocolate chip cookies.  Finally, the silence broke, and she said softly, “Mom". . .  "I want to give some more of my money to the kids in Pajan. Can you get my bank for me again?”  I pulled it out and dumped out her money on the table in front of her.  She took one glance at the small pile of pennies, nickles, dimes, and quarters, and picked up one of her beloved, many times counted, large, silver quarters and placed it in the envelope.  Then she looked at me and smiled. “Mom”. . .  “I feel happy inside”.  Words cannot express the warmth that filled my heart at that moment.  I tell you these are the moments we live for. A moment like this makes all the temper tantrums, all the poopy diapers, all the messy spills, all the frustrating days so, so worth it.

    I can only wonder what thoughts were going on inside of her little head as we sat there in silence before she came to the conclusion that she wanted to give a little more.  Perhaps she was feeling happy to have a warm cookie in her mouth, and wondering if little kids in Japan were able to do the same thing. Perhaps she was feeling grateful that our home was right here, over our heads, and not washed away, or left in crumbles. Perhaps she was feeling grateful to be in her warm clothes, with the knowledge that her warm bed awaited her upstairs. Perhaps. Maybe four year olds aren't capable of thinking such deep thoughts, but whatever she was thinking, however simple her thoughts may have been, or if she was thinking at all, something inside of her compelled her to want to give a little more of what she had to people in need. 

    Something hit Liv during FHE on that Monday night, and I mean something besides Warner. Something hit her heart.  I don’t know if it was the videos she watched of the houses being destroyed, or the thought of little girls like her out there with no dresses and no toys, but whatever it was, something really touched her, and it has stayed with her. Ever since that lesson on monday night, whether it be a prayer on her food, a personal prayer, or a family prayer for the night, she can't end her prayer without saying “And please bless the kids in Pajan”.