July 14

My kids are good at many things and have plenty of strengths, but having patience isn't typically something at which they excel. That's why this sight was so intriguing.

When I arrived to pick up the kids from VBS today, Abby and one of the little boys in her group were walking toward the coin donation box. The little guy had a zipper bag filled with coins, and I heard her tell him that he'd need to open the bag and drop them into the slot one at a time. So that's just what he did. And it took a really, really, really long time.

I watched, utterly amused, as Abby watched him slowly retrieve coin after coin from his little baggie. She never rushed him and didn't fidget; nope, she stood there, patiently watching as he made his deposit. When he finally finished, she walked him back to their classroom to rejoin the other children.

It made me smile to see her exercising so much patience in the face of what could've been a frustrating circumstance. It's a gift to see her growing up.