Offering

We recently went on a trip to St Louis. By we I mean my father-in law, sister-in law, her husband, their two kiddos, me and the boys. There are obviously many a tales that could be told from this adventure but the one thing I want to tell you is this.

St. Louis Gateway arch. Great adventure for the boys, should you ever get the opportunity to take a ride up... BOOK YOUR TICKET IN ADVANCE. They will recommend that you get there an hour early... DO IT. Also check both sides of the arch entrance to see what side has a shorter line to get checked in. You're welcome.

Of course once you do go an hour early and realize there is one side with no line and get in and have an hour to noodle around you have a few options. For us the options were museum or gift shop. Me being the great mother tried the gift shop first thinking... "If I have to bribe with taking a gift away, they'll have picked it out, it's in my bag, HA!" Naturally they wanted toys that had nothing to do with the arch and me being the mean Mom made them get something that had some type of any resemblance of arch-ness. Sam got a finger squirrel puppet. Hours of laughter that you have to stick your finger up the squirrel's bum. Thanks to whoever invented that. Louis got a Gateway arch activity book. Rian got a keychain. AND my personal favorite the penny smooching machine. EVERY location should have this machine, period.

Naturally all the boys were threatened with not getting their gifts at some point.

We wondered through the museum. Fun picture taking.

We waited in some lines.

More picture taking.

We rode up in a Star Wars like ship thingy.

We looked out some windows for 15 minutes.

Sam freaked out.

Louis loved it.

Rian was confused.

We rode down the Star Wars like ship thingy.

Mission complete.

On the way out though Rian picked up one of the arch maps that they give out. Naturally this free gift was what sparked his fancy. Loves loves loves this map. He likes to show it to Dad who didn't get to come with us. "See Dad, that's the windows", "There's the arch", "This is what it looks like"... I mean hours of checking this map out. Folding and unfolding. He has spent weeks with this map now.

This past Sunday he took the map with him to church, pick your battles okay. He sat in church just holding it, just so. Towards the end of service the offering is taken. We gave the boys each a coin. Rian held the coin in one hand and the map in the other. You could actually see the debate that was occurring. Should I put this coin in the offering or my map? My map that means so very much to me or this coin that magically comes out of Mom's wallet?

The offering plate came by and sure enough he tried to put his map in. Me being the pesky Mom said no and took the map out and Rian put the coin in.

It's when the offering plate had left that I looked down at Rian and he said "The map meant more to me to give than the coin though".

I'm not sure that I can really add any life thoughts to this moment. When's the last time that I gave something so meaningfully?

A map or a coin. He offered up his map because it meant that much more to him.

I know offerings at church are, lets be honest, annoying at times. There's that weird moment when the person next to you looks to see if you're going to put anything in. There's the dude with the fancy plate that watches you pass it down.

Maybe you don't go to church. Maybe it's just walking into the grocery store and being asked to donate a can of food for a food pantry. Do you do it or just walk by?

Do you offer what means more?