This subject has been weighing in my heart and mind for quite some time now. Bringing back old-time things. Could my family survie if we couldn't get clothing, blankets and food from a store? You know those conveniences that we have today compared to way back when. Back when people had to grow their own food, canning, homemade meals, sewing clothing, making blankets, knitting, writting to family far away, etc.
I have been wanting my girls to read Little House on the Prairie books for a few months now and one day while at our library I noticed they had the 1st season on DVD. We rented the DVD's so the girls could see what it was about and in the hopes that they would really get into it.
As I sat watching the movies I realized just how close families were back then and how people all around would help one another. People back then were just glad to be together even during the holiday season. As we watched one of the episodes were the girls received a wooden animal figure and a tin cup for Christmas gifts, they were so excited too. I wondered how many kids these days would be happy to receive those gifts. I figure not too many, myself included.
That night it hit me just how materialistic we can be. How we want things done right away and how we take little things for granted.
I have always been one for homemade things. While I love store bought items, I really enjoy getting and giving homemade items the best. I love cooking, knitting, crocheting, sewing, crafting, basically being proud of the things I have because I know I have worked hard at making them with the gifts and talents that God has given me. However over the past few years I have noticed how people react towards those kinds of gifts. While a few have really enjoyed them, most do not. They are polite and say "Thank you", but it is more of a "Oh thanks what the heck am I going to do with this?" kind of thank you.
You also notice those are the gifts at the end of the night that are left behind, of course I swear to myself I will never make another thing again , but find myself doing it again year after year. However the last couple of years I have not made homemade items, with the exception of a wall hanging quilt.
So as I sat watching these shows it all came back to me how I loved making homemade items and that is who I am. A person that gives from the heart not from a store. This also goes for all aspects of my life - giving from the heart, not because someone tells me to or in order to get something in return. I do not do things at a cost, I do them out of the kindness of the heart.
I thought about it and figure I was looking at this in the wrong way. While it may look as though most do not care for homemade it isn't that at all. Its the fact that they may be feeling that their gift in fact wasn't thoughtful at all or that when they do things its at a cost to the person they are helping. They are expecting something in return. Yet this person that is giving from the heart is showing them the true meaning of kindness.
I have thought about this time and time again and I want to teach my childeren what it means to give from the heart and how it can impact a person, or even a whole community.
Who will you show kindness from the heart to today? How will it impact your day and the people around you?
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