Just a quick slice of life from the Daly household last week; perhaps you can relate?
The other morning I was preparing my coffee in the kitchen and our boys, Trent and Troy, were enjoying their blueberry waffles. Troy, age 9, popped up from the table in the hope of searching out a second helping. But when he got to the toaster on the counter he noticed there was just one waffle remaining.
What was he going to do?
At first, I didn’t say a word. In fact, I found myself enjoying the scene. I could see Troy’s wheels turning, looking down at the one waffle and then up to his brother. True to his sweet and generous nature, he said with great kindness, “Trent, do you want the last one?”
Silence.
I looked over at Trent, the older brother by two years, and I could see he was wrestling with the question. More silence followed.
“That is such a nice gesture,” I said, finally stepping in, hoping to help Trent appreciate his brother’s selfless spirit.
“Oh,” he said somewhat grudgingly, “if you want it, you can have it.”
Not exactly the response I was hoping for, but it gave us a chance to talk about attitude and doing the right thing for the right reasons. They’re both great boys who love each other and regularly lift the other up.
Kellogg’s executives made famous the “Leggo My Eggo!” advertising slogan in the 1970s, and for good reason. People can relate to selfish desire. It’s natural to want to satisfy our own wants, even if it’s at the expense of others. And all too often, when we do “give,” we do so grudgingly.
The apostle Paul was familiar with this aspect of our human nature. This is why he reminded the followers at Philippi to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4).
What a different world it would be if all of us would “leggo” of our wants and never “waffle” when it comes to our commitment to give of ourselves to others. And for parents, the small opportunities to teach such character are priceless moments.
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