buying a farm {or two}

there are moments in parenthood that make you wonder how far you will go. if you will actually put your money where your mouth is.

today was one of those moments.

 

last year, we decided to go light on christmas, and take part our budgeted christmas money and allow the kids to pick out items from the Samaritan's Purse gift catalog.

it was awesome. wonderful. heart breaking beautiful. the kids caught a glimpse of "it isn't all about me." they loved it, and we loved it. we still did a few gifts for each child. it was the best of both worlds.

 

this year, we've talked a lot about what many families in other countries face. there are millions of kids around the world who don't eat ice cream after dinner. they don't have a couch to jump on and their very own bed in a room filled with toys. in fact, they might not eat at all. they might not have a mama and a dada. their house might be one room with a dirt floor. they don't have air conditioning and heat pumping into their house in the winter. they don't have an xbox. or a car...or two.

i don't tell my kids about these things to make them feel guilty. i want them to be aware. i want them to sense the urgency of our ability to help.

it's more than the classic "don't waste food, there are starving children somewhere"... it's deeper than that. it's giving up something that i want for someone else.

 

what do i really need?

i don't need those bags full of crap i just bought at target.

but i wanted those things, so i bought them.

are they necessities? nope.

could i survive the rest of the day without them?

why yes. yes i could.

in fact, very little of what i purchase is an actual, literal NEED.

it's a sad truth that i hate to even admit.

 

 

this week, i asked my kids if our family would be willing to give up their christmas gifts. all of them.

not because i want to be a mean, tree hugging, super mama...because i'm not.

believe you me, i'm not.

but because i want our family to be different than we are.

because i believe God wants more from us.

more from me.

so much more that it's uncomfortable.

even more, because i'm so selfish.

 

i wasn't quite sure what the kids would say in response to my crazy no chrismas gift notion.

 would they pause and ask "what about that star wars lego set i've been wanting???"

no. they didn't flinch. they chose in an instant to give it all away.

i vastly underestimated the way God has been working on their hearts.

 

in fact, they wanted to give a farm...a very expensive, giant farm of animals.

more than what my husband and i were willing or planning to give.

(one farm of 28 animals will save 10 families from hunger!!! 10 families!!! change a community. change their future generations. this is big!)

 

 

 

 and then the moment came. the one that made me think about what i am really teaching my kids.

am i all talk and no action?

do i really want them to know that we will hold what we have loosely?

i want to choose to allow God to use our tiny bit to do something big...and i trust that what He will do through my children in the years to come will be far greater than i could have imagined.

 

so after funding part of the farm as a family, we gave our boys the honor of finding ways to fund the final $500 of our animal farm.

foster wrote a sweet letter to photo copy and give to family and neighbors, and we posted our plan on instagram.

within 24 hours, our farm is fully funded.

how amazing is that???

 

so i propose to fund another animal farm. $2000. 28 animals, saving 10 more beautiful families from hunger.

do you want in? you can be a part of our farm.

(email me at: angiedweldon (at) gmail . com and i will send you our address. any amount big or small. all checks make to World Vision and tax deductible)

 

or perhaps you and your family want to fund your own.

check out World Vision and Samaritans Purse for lots of giving ideas.

 

odds are, most the people you and i know can do without that itunes gift card. without a sweater or tie or bathrobe. they probably already have 7 of those.

make a plan to go homemade. or re-purpose. or regift. or do acts of service. or something, anything...but lets do something different this year.

let's change together.