Give As You Are Able

Yesterday, my sons decided to chip in and build a new computer for a family of five children whose old computer recently died. After discussing what spare parts to use and what new parts to buy, they all crammed into Daniel's Prius and excitedly drove to several large, computer supply stores in the city. I think that a computer store is to my sons what a hardware store is to most men. Their hearts start to beat faster, their blood pressures rise, and their speech and motor skills speed up. I'm just glad I wasn't in the car with them.

My sacrifice began the moment my sons came back home from their shopping. They immediately took over my kitchen and dining room for the rest of the day, littering my dining table and counter tops with all kinds of computer parts, and my floors with boxes, cardboard strips of paper, and funny plastic wrappings.

To avoid seeing the mess and to not be tempted to throw things in the garbage that I shouldn't, like screws still left in plastic bags, I hopped into my RAV4 and went shopping at different garden centres. Garden centres are to me what computer stores are to my sons. When I came back home, I worked outside in my yard putting landscaping cloth, edging, and bark mulch around eight Aspen trees that I bought the day before and planted along part of my back fence.

Today, my son Matthew will have the privilege of presenting the family their new computer. Here is a picture of it with the case open. No, it doesn't come with a cat. That's just Hunter trying to get into the picture.

My sons are geniuses, especially when it comes to computer technology. This weekend they obeyed God's command and gave as they were able according to the blessings God has given them.

"All must give as they are able,

according to the blessings given to them

by the Lord your God."

Deuteronomy 16:17 ( NLT)