Food, Fun, and Family Service

One of my goals as a parent is to develop a servant heart in my children.  I want them to take initiative to help others.  I want helping others to be second nature to them.  I want them to think beyond themselves and put others first.

So I am on the lookout for opportunities that provide this training.  Last week a mobile food pantry truck came to town and I signed our family up to help distribute the food.  It was so great.

 Charlie and our friend Diane handed out laundry soap to all 118 families who came through the line.

For two hours.

He was laying down on the table toward the end.

 Peter's job was to pull this cart as the client loaded it up with food.

Then he took it to their car and helped load it in.

This is how it made him feel.

Peter was a little unsure of himself at the beginning and wanted me to stay right with him.

So we worked together until a family who had walked to the park needed a ride back to their house with all their food.  I took them home, leaving a hesitant Peter.

He said he would stay right there and wait for me to get back before he helped another client.

But I tried to encourage him that he could do it by himself.

By the time I returned he had gone through the line ALL BY HIMSELF with a client.

When I rejoined him he said to me,

"Mom, maybe there's something else you could go do now."

Aha!

Confidence built.

 Reuben and Paul also got to use the fun carts.

Here they're waiting for the next family.

Reuben reminded Paul to tell them,

"Jesus loves you."

 We all enjoyed the time of serving.

 Charlie and I found that it was important to stop and take cuteness breaks now and then.

 Ok, so we're all done and the boys got permission to take these large boxes home to play with.

 Too big for the car

so they walked them home.

And then they spent the afternoon being extremely silly with each other and their boxes.

Which is another of my parenting goals:

brothers who love each other and enjoy each other.