Yesterday was Easter egg hunting day in KIDS Church. As expected, the kids were all excited and kept asking us, their teachers, when the egg hunt would start. One of the kids told me on the onset that she didn't like Easter egg hunting. Later on, however, she was just like every other kid on the egg hunt, excitedly running about trying to find a colorful egg filled with chocolate. Sadly, she was also one of the few who wasn't able to find any. Unlike some kids who would resort to tantrums, this kid just quietly told me, "Teacher, I didn't find an egg." I told her it's okay; we had something else for her. I could feel though that she was disappointed about not finding a prize herself. One of the other kids, a six-year-old named Elise, overheard her and told us, "Teacher, she can have my egg." Hearing this, the kid who didn't find any eggs visibly perked up, said thank you, and happily clutched the gift. Elise didn't seem regretful at all about giving her prize away. She was smiling as she took her younger sister's hand and went back to KIDS Church room.
I and the other teacher were so touched by this exchange. How many times have I found it hard to let go of things I find pleasure in so that I could bless another person's life? Would I have displayed the same humility to accept if offered such a gift? Why was it so easy for a six-year old to just give away something that was rightfully hers? I may not know the answer, but seeing the smile on Elise' face tells me that for this six-year old, there are more important things in life than eating a small piece of chocolate for herself.
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