I have been taking my great-grandchildren who live here in town to church with me for most of their lives.  They went to the nursery when they were babies and started attending Worship and Wonder as they got old enough.  Each week, I give each of them a dollar bill to put in the offering taken up during their worship service. 

This past Sunday, Damion was sitting beside me in “big” church waiting for time to go to their class.  As he held his dollar, folding and unfolding it to stretch flat between his hands, he murmured softly to himself: “I’m giving money to Jesus.”

Then the minister’s words as she talked about the need to provide food and shelter for the homeless and poor during the current arctic cold sank into his mind, connecting with his train of thought.

He looked up at me with that joyous expression children get when they’ve figured out a concept  and said, “Oh, that’s why we give money to the church! So they can feed poor people who don’t have money to buy food.”

My heart melted as I replied, “Yes, that’s one of the reasons.” I love watching children learn and grow. It is my greatest pleasure in life.