If you have read many blogs you know that our son Garrett shares many more stories and is much more vocal than his twin sister, Tia. When Tia speaks it is usually very loud and most of the time very important. A few weeks ago she made a huge impact on me with her words and it is one that I have thought about daily.
Prior to tucking in the kids each night we do a devotion with them. Usually it is all four of the younger kids but this particular night it was only Tia and Lindsay. We read the devotion about how God provides for our every need. We read in Matthew 6 on how to ask God to provide for our needs.
Tia seemed to be paying close attention and she seemed to be thinking the entire time that I was reading the devotion about our needs and how God will provide food, drink, shelter, clothing, health, friends and family. She was quiet and didn't have much to say as I questioned she and Lindsay about what God provides for us. The devotion book I use with them always has an activity to end with each day. This night the activity page had pictures of several things and the girls were to circle the things that were needs and cross out the things that were wants.
I really couldn't believe the next few moments as I watched Tia's face. I could tell that she was really thinking about what her true needs were and what were really just wants. Lindsay went first and for the things that she needs she circled the house, milk, bread, and shoes. She crossed out the nail polish, baby doll, and bike. Next it was Tia's turn and I got a glimpse of what she was thinking about as we read the devotion. Tia started by crossing out the wants......first she crossed off the bike, next the doll, and then the nail polish. She then paused for a few seconds and crossed off the milk, next the shoes and then the house. She started to cross out the bread and then ended up circling only the bread.
After she finished marking I ask her to tell me what she needs. She said, "I only need bread." I thought that maybe she didn't understand and I said, "Tia, we need a house to live in don't we?" She responded as she pointed at the picture, "Mom, it doesn't have to be a pretty house like this one. In Ethiopia we had a little house." Of course tears started to flow as I told her that she was exactly right. She then went on to explain that she didn't have milk or shoes on the island and so those were not needs but wants.
As I was listening to my daughter, my heart was breaking. This time not because she had experienced life with very little (literally only her daily bread) but because I knew how the "needs" in my own life are really just "wants". I think that I need so much when in reality God providing my daily bread is all that I NEED. I scooped my precious daughter into my lap and I thanked God out loud for using her to remind me of my selfishness in wanting so much more than I really need. Lindsay and I were both in tears as we both were taught such a life changing message from our sweet Tia.
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