Fifth Grade Lessons

I learn a lot of life and social lessons from my fifth grade students who I have the opportunity to serve. Many of our students are preparing for a 3-day science camp and fundraising to be able to get there. The other day as Lakeisha was helping us to get some of our materials set up for our after school program, she started talking about how excited she was to go to camp. In talking about how she would help raise the money, she told us she had a rich aunt who she would ask to help donate money. When someone asked her about her aunt she responded, “Yeah, she’s rich because she goes to McDonalds every morning. If she can afford that then I know she has money.” Wow.

In the world’s view, in my view, I would never consider someone able to afford to get McDonalds each morning to be rich but it’s so very true. Compared to the rest of the world we are one of the richest countries. If we have a roof over our head we are rich. If we have food to eat we are rich. If we have clean water to drink we are rich. If we have the ability to read this blog we are rich. Oh how much we take for granted and even have the audacity to think we deserve.

Money can be a funny thing. Money can be an instrument of power, oppression, and greed or it can be an instrument to help bring about change. Are we tight-fisted with the resources we’ve been given or are we willing to let go of the comfort and security we think money offers in order to help someone without the luxuries of a home and a warm meal every night? Let us stop gambling on ourselves and invest in another human being. For “the grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

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