Serving with Our Small Group

 Our small group volunteered to serve dinner at a church downtown as part of our church collaborating with the community in part of Sharefest.  We provided chili and hot dogs for between 100 and 150 people  We were really unsure about having enough food and were kind of nervous because we were the first group to be a part of this, but it went super well.  We loaded up the boys and our two crock pots of chili and headed downtown and in the car this conversation occurred:

Landon:  (disgusted and pouty)  I don't want to do this.  I don't even LIKE serving.
Me:  (Mom at the end of her rope tone) First of all, you've never served anything your entire life except maybe a glass of water to me or your dad.  And second of all this is going to be really good for you.  There will be people here tonight Landon that don't have everything that you have.  They'll be people without warm houses and clothes, without nice shoes.  They'll be kids at this thing tonight that don't have backpacks, or toys, or Wiis, or..."
Landon:  (interrupting and totally serious.  Holds up his finger)  Stop right there Mom.  (makes a fist and thumps his chest with it)  You hit me hard when you said Wii.  You hit me hard.

And he was dead.  serious.

I had to quickly turn around to regain my composure and Chad was sitting the driver's seat being really thankful he wasn't in the driver's seat of this conversation because he could barely hold it together.

I turned back around and said something like 'You're going and you're going to serve with a smile on your face.  And you're going to learn something tonight.'

End of conversation.  This kid....the stuff he comes up with!!

Here are a few of our little helpers from our group

 So we get in the car, Chad and I are discussing how we're so glad we did it.  It felt great to serve other people and really put things in perspective.  I really want to make a point to teach our boys to care for others, to appreciate what they have, and to realize the world is not all about them.

The next day, Landon's picture is on the front page of the City State section of the SJR.
"Mom!  Look!  I'm in the paper!"
So much for teaching him it's not all about him.  Sigh.