With a Cheerful Heart

Barn Cats Share with Each Other

Flying T Ranch

Sprague River, Oregon

June 2011

Hebrews 13:16
"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

The four-year old girl looked up with big eyes as she sat in her chair during my Vacation Bible School lesson and told me if she had an old horse and her neighbor needed it, she would be glad to share it with them.  I'm not sure where she's hiding a horse to give away, but she understood the message of my lesson.

I talked to the preschoolers about making sacrifices and sharing with others with a glad heart. Tonight, I followed up on last night's lesson and asked the kids which of them had made a sacrifice or who had shared with others.

Their answers were precious:

"I walked the dog with my mom and dad."

"When my sister fell down, I picked her up."

"I made my bed."

"I shared my crayons with my friend."

The little ones grasped the simple concept of the lesson: Share with a glad heart even if it means you must sacrifice something you love. 

The concept is easy to understand, but the older people get, the more complicated we make it. We want to put conditions on our giving and limitations to our sacrifices.

God calls us all, young and old, to give with cheerful hearts even if it means giving up something we cherish.

Children are learning this lesson in Brunswick, Georgia. I wonder how many grown-ups practice this?
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Lord, let me share what I have with others with a happy heart.