Children come with a lot of gear. For our two young children we use a changing table, two booster seats, one toddler bed, one crib, four car seats, a pack-n-play, a single stroller, a double stroller and a bike trailer. There are many more items taking up space and collecting dust in our lower level. These items were indispensable through the infant and toddler stages, but are now relegated to the dark corners of our basement.

Kid gear is not cheap and it all adds up! Thankfully, we have been the blessed recipients of many gifts—both new and gently used—for our kiddos.

Friends to the rescue
Last week I was with a friend and mentioned that we needed new car seats. The car seats in my husband’s vehicle are old, expired hand-me-downs that are obviously not a safe choice for carting around our children. I saw a couple car seats at a garage sale near her home and wanted to check them out. Immediately my friend offered one of her car seats. Since her children are older and don’t need them any longer, they were just sitting in her storage area. Right then and there she went to her basement and handed one over. Bam! A new-to-us car seat that is safe and effective.   

This past weekend some family friends came to dinner and brought with them a toddler bed for my daughter. She has been anticipating a ‘big girl bed’ like her brother’s ‘big boy’ version, but with limited resources available, we hadn’t yet made the jump to a bigger bed. Once again, our friends came to the rescue. Unprompted, they asked if we needed a toddler bed since their daughters were soon going to be sharing bunk beds. And just like that my daughter moved her blankets, pillow pet and stuffed animals from her crib to her new toddler bed.

A generosity prayer
As my daughter and I prayed before bedtime, I thanked God for the generosity of our friends in gifting us with a car seat and toddler bed—saving us potentially hundreds of dollars. In the midst of my prayer, my daughter asks, “What is genosty?” (Translation: “What is generosity?”).

Her question stumped me. I looked into her young face and thought to myself, “How do I explain the concept of generosity to a two-year-old?”

You can’t touch it. You can’t see it. It’s something you do. It’s an action. It’s also something you are. You can be a generous person and live a generous lifestyle.

Generosity changes people lives.

Every single day.

Generosity has changed my life in very personal ways and it has impacted my family greatly as we have observed and experienced sacrificial acts of generosity with time, treasure and talent.

I fumbled my way through a simplified explanation for my daughter: “It’s when someone gives you a gift or does something for you that you can’t repay. All you can do is say thank you. Like when God gave us Jesus. That is generosity. The best gift we’ve ever been given.”

As a parent, I desire to live generously so that I might model a generous lifestyle to my children. As a child of God, I’m compelled to give thanks to God for the greatest act of generosity I’ve ever experienced—a relationship with his Son. As a woman I’m challenged to live generously so that I might strengthen my community and improve my world. As a writer for the Gestures of Generosity blog, I’m striving to live with a greater awareness of generosity.

With that said, if you’re in need of a baby swing or high chair, send me an email. I’ve got you covered.

What does generosity mean to you? How has your life been impacted by generosity? How would you answer a child who asks: “What is generosity?”