Happiness Comes From Giving What We Have

I can't begin to express what my heart felt and the lessons I learned from the sight of these Silly Bandz.

Little Miss had a birthday and was showered with gifts from her grandparents, and cake and ice cream and activities with Mom, Dad, and Little Man. The doorbell rang as we were all getting cleaned up from an outing to the splash park.  A little girl from down the street had come to see if Kids could play.  We told her that it was Little Miss' birthday and that we couldn't play at the moment. This girl is babysat by her grandmother (our neighbor) quite often and Kids have enjoyed having a friend to play with in our otherwise childless neighborhood. 

A few minutes later our doorbell rang and when I opened the door, I saw a pile of Silly Bandz sitting on the porch.  The neighbor girl had left them to celebrate Little Miss.  My eyes filled with tears when I thought about what this girl sacrificed.  She doesn't have hardly anything - her mother is barely making ends meet - yet she wanted to give. I had an image of her scouring her simple, few toys in hopes of finding the perfect treasure for Little Miss.

It was a great reminder that happiness doesn't come from having everything.  Happiness comes when we make others happy.  Happiness comes when we sacrifice our own wants and needs for others.  Happiness comes when we forget about ourselves. Happiness comes when we give - no matter how much or how little. 

I was reminded of the scriptures in Mark Chapter 12 ~

 42: And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

 43: And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

 44: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.