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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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November 21, 2011

Simply Sunday…The Jar

We are ushering out the season of “thanks” and welcoming in the season of “giving”. 
(get it…thanks…giving….Thanksgiving…oh, I just crack myself up sometimes!)

And, as a family, we are ever mindful of how we can reflect the true spirit of the season and the One who gave us the greatest Gift of all time.

We have a giant green jar in our kitchen.
It sits on the desk where my son does his homework and at first glance you would probably think it was simply there for decorative purposes.
I mean, it is pretty!

But look a little bit closer, and you will see that it actually serves a different purpose.

This is our money jar.

It may have started out its life as home decor, but it has since found a greater purpose.

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One night after dinner my husband and I took turns walking over to it and dropping quarters down inside. 
The kids loved hearing the loud “plunk” and quickly asked if they could try it too.
We gave them each their own quarters to drop in and then we hatched our plan together.

“Let’s see how much money we can collect in this jar before Christmas”, we said.
“Oooooo…are we going to buy something with it?”, they asked.
“Yes, but we are going to pray about it first”, we replied.
“Why?”, they asked.
“Because we want God to show us how He wants us to spend this money.”

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So, that is what we are doing!
Slowly but surely, this jar is is being filled.

And as it is, so are our hearts.

Filled with an awareness of how much what we think is “ours” isn’t really “ours” after all.

Filled with gratitude for the ability to give.

Filled with joy at seeing our children run over to the jar with their allowance and drop it down inside.

When my son came home from school and informed us that his class would be collecting items to fill shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, we knew exactly how we would fund it. 

And when we realized that taking the money out for that particular gift barely put a dent in our money jar, we knew that God still hasn’t revealed His full plan for it.

So we pray…and we wait…and we trust that He will show us very soon.
And we pray that not only will He show us to whom this money should go, but that this gift will only be a reflection of the very FIRST Gift of Christmas!


How will you usher in the season of giving?


Thanks for joining me for this Simply Sunday at the Fence,

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26 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Simply Sundays

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Renewed Upon a Dream says

    November 20, 2011 at 4:58 PM

    This is such a good idea and it is so wonderful that your children are enthusiastic about participating as well!

    Reply
  2. Gwen @ The Bold Abode says

    November 20, 2011 at 5:22 PM

    Totally awesome!

    Reply
  3. Wendy @HerBallistic Garden says

    November 20, 2011 at 5:50 PM

    This will have a big impact on your children’s psyche in their adult lives…kudos to you for teaching them about others needs!

    Reply
  4. Tanya@takesix says

    November 20, 2011 at 6:11 PM

    Such great teachable moments! Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply
  5. Kathy says

    November 20, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    It is so good to see such an inspiring was of teaching charity.
    Tiny sacrifices can a great deal to someone in need. Your kids sound super and they will carry your message. Thanks for sharing (the story) Kathy

    Reply
  6. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    November 20, 2011 at 7:38 PM

    OH what a fabulous idea and such a wonderful lesson for your children to learn to Blessing of giving. I know the Lord will Bless you all with more and more. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  7. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    November 20, 2011 at 7:44 PM

    Vanessa (and hubby), I love how you are teaching your children from a very young age that what we ACT LIKE is ours really isn’t. The anticipation you’re all experiencing as you set aside part of your bounty…and pray for wisdom…and prepare to be obedient is cause for me to worship and give thanks. What a beautiful example you are setting, and what a beautiful picture of the verse “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Don’t you feel blessed as you prepare to share? I’m blessed just watching you! Can’t wait to see how God leads you to pass on the blessing. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

    Reply
  8. Vanessa says

    November 20, 2011 at 7:54 PM

    Hi, Vanessa

    What a great post. It’s a good thing to be a Blessings to others. I been looking into doing something local for my children to be a blessing to someone as well.

    Thanks for sharing. Have a Bless and happy Thanksgiving.

    Vanessa

    Reply
  9. NanaDiana says

    November 20, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Great idea! We always adopt a family at Christmas and we all pitch in to make that Christmas memorable for the family we pick. Our little ones get involved too. Wonderful idea about the jar in the kitchen. I guess someone WILL be Giving Thanks (you crack ME up, too). xo Diana

    Reply
  10. Gypsy Heart says

    November 20, 2011 at 10:32 PM

    I love this! It’s so great to have the kids involved…in both the saving and the praying. I admire you as parents!

    I contribute to Soldier’s Angels, Chemo Angels and to the homeless.
    We are so blessed to have so much when others are without.

    xo
    Pat

    Reply
  11. sissie says

    November 20, 2011 at 11:16 PM

    What a lovely tradition you have created for you and your children.

    hugs
    sissie

    Reply
  12. Michelle@ourwonderfilledlife.com says

    November 20, 2011 at 4:24 PM

    Beautiful idea, love that your praying about what to with the money and the answer is being revealed! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Leslie says

    November 21, 2011 at 12:43 AM

    What a beautiful idea!
    We usually give gifts or $ to another family in need for the giving season. But, it usually comes out of my hubby;s paycheck, and he doesn’t mind, but this year I wanted to contribute, too.
    I have a confession. I have been hoarding money in a teapot in my hutch for this coming season, too. Dropping $ in it as I sell something on Craigslist or eBay, or for consulting with a client about staging or organizing. I have a considerable amount in there now.
    I didn’t quite know what to do with it. Now I do. I will ask my family if they would like to choose someone/someplace to bless (without telling them about the $ first) and see what they come up with. This will be fun!
    Thank you for the reminder/encouragement!
    Love, me

    Reply
  14. Kim says

    November 21, 2011 at 12:53 AM

    What an inspirational post. I’m a new follower who came over from No Minimalist Here, and can’t wait to join the Christmas Blogger Block Party! Sounds like fun.

    Reply
  15. The DIY Show Off says

    November 21, 2011 at 2:05 AM

    You have such a gift…for story telling, sharing and inspiring. I love this. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Judy says

    November 21, 2011 at 2:29 AM

    What a wonderful idea. Such a nice way to teach your kids the real meaning of the season.

    Reply
  17. Debbie says

    November 21, 2011 at 2:30 AM

    I think this is a beautiful plan, Vanessa. I love that you combine the thanks with the giving.

    Yeah, you crack me up too…
    But honestly? I really do like the way you put those two together.

    Reply
  18. HHL says

    November 21, 2011 at 3:23 AM

    Truly a wonderful plan and great to teach little ones about giving! HE always shows us the way we need only to listen – with ears, mind and most of all heart. Blessings to you my friend!! xo HHL

    Reply
  19. HHL says

    November 21, 2011 at 3:23 AM

    Truly a wonderful plan and great to teach little ones about giving! HE always shows us the way we need only to listen – with ears, mind and most of all heart. Blessings to you my friend!! xo HHL

    Reply
  20. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    November 21, 2011 at 4:11 AM

    Wonderful! Operation Christmas Child is pretty amazing. My youngest daughter and I had the privilege of packing shoeboxes at the Charlotte OCC warehouse on the very last day of packing last year. It is pretty inspiring to see what’s in all the boxes(every one is checked) and where they are going. This year our Life Group will be “adopting” a family for Christmas.

    Reply
  21. Marcia says

    November 21, 2011 at 5:28 PM

    This is beautiful, Vanessa. I love the idea and you have most certainly inspired me to do the same.
    Blessings.

    Reply
  22. Meredith from A Mother Seeking says

    November 21, 2011 at 7:40 PM

    As usual, I love this! Would you consider linking it up to my Giving Gratitude Link Party on A Mother Seeking…?

    Meredith From A Mother Seeking Come find me on my blog, A Mother Seeking…

    Reply
  23. Zolane says

    November 21, 2011 at 8:36 PM

    What an inspiration! I’m going to find our own “green jar”. Thanks so much for sharing and I’ll be anxious to hear how He leads you.

    Reply
  24. Meredith From A Mother Seeking... says

    November 21, 2011 at 11:57 PM

    Thank you for joining my Gratitude Link Party. This is just the kind of post we all need to read! Happy Thanksgiving to you!

    Meredith From A Mother Seeking Come find me on my blog, A Mother Seeking…

    Reply
  25. Marti says

    November 22, 2011 at 6:21 AM

    I love how your money jar came into being, and how God revealed it’s purpose to you. Thank you for the simple lesson of giving thanks.

    Reply
  26. Meredith from A Mother Seeking says

    December 6, 2011 at 5:25 PM

    Wanted you to know you’ve been featured on A Mother Seeking and it’s up and running…
    Meredith From A Mother Seeking Come find me on my blog, A Mother Seeking…

    Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

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