Six Dollars to Spend

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The Friday Morning Story

August 6, 2004

* Six Dollars to Spend *

Our eight year-old granddaughter, Mary Kathryn, was excited as she bounded through the door with her report card for the past nine weeks in her hand. She could hardly wait to show her granddaddy all the A's that report card contained. To her that meant $1.00 for each A that he had promised to give her.

Sure enough with a grateful heart for the excellent grades he saw before him, granddaddy reached in his billfold and counted out $6.00 for six A's. With a bounce in her step and joy on her face, Mary Kathryn hurried to her room with the money. This was hers to spend as she chose!

I prayed she would spend it wisely but delighted in watching her little mind spin trying to decide how to use it. A couple of days later Mary Kathryn asked me to take her to the Dollar Store. She said,

"Grandma, I want to spend four of my six dollars to replace the items in our treat box at school. That will leave $2.00 for me."

Well, that pleased this grandma very much so I made arrangements to take her as soon as possible. Picking out just four things at the Dollar Store wasn't all that easy. She loved everything. She would put some items in our basket and then change her mind. She rearranged everything in that basket several times. Finally she had it narrowed down to six items. Exactly the amount of money her granddaddy had given her.

"Help me choose four things grandma," Mary Kathryn pleaded.

I wanted the decision to be hers. I decided to not rush her and to give her all the time she needed. It was a perplexing place for an eight year-old to be. There were six treats she really wanted to share with the other children at school. But, she only had $4.00 to spend if she kept $2.00 for herself. She already had those two items picked out and put on the other side of the basket.

Silently, I said a short prayer for her. Suddenly, her eyes lit up! I knew she had decided what she was going to do. My sweet Mary Kathryn who has a heart of gold and is such a giver said,

"I know, Grandma, I will just use all of my $6.00 to give to the treat box at school."

My heart melted right there in that Dollar Store. All the while I thought she was struggling in her mind trying to come up with the right amount of toys for her dollars, Mary Kathryn was using her heart to solve the problem. She would give it all. Immediately, God reminded me that he says in his Word "Give and it shall be given unto you." That was the answer.

This Grandma makes that Biblical principal so complicated sometimes. And, yet, it seemed so simple to this young child who has been taught that God will take care of her needs. Lord, may her heart always be so generous and may she always believe that you do as you promise in your Word. Give unto Mary Kathryn as she so graciously shared with her friends!

"Give and it shall be given unto you." Luke 6:38

~ The Author is Melva Cooper who is a wife, mother, and grandmother of four from Jonesboro, Arkansas. She is also a free-lance writer who writes a "Grandparenting" column in Northeast Arkansas Parent and an article about "A NASCAR Driver and His Faith" in Christian Motorsports Illustrated. Her website contains many heartfelt and loving stories at http://www.melvacooper.com ~

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