Compassion

Lent beyond the Easter season

Any time, Drive time

Help your children understand how well off they are and introduce them to the idea of making “Lent” sacrifices in order to bless others who are in need.

First, explain to your children the concept of Lent. (You’ll find help with this in the key concepts below.)

Next, decide with your kids how you can make a small monetary sacrifice for each day of the week, in accordance with how you have been blessed. Here are some ideas to get your kids truly “counting their blessings” as a means of deciding how much money to give to the poor, but feel free to choose other ideas too:

Monday: Donate a dime for each toy in the house.
Tuesday: Give a loonie for each piece of candy you ate this past week.
Wednesday: Donate a quarter for each CD, video, DVD, or Blu-ray disc you own.
Thursday: Set aside a nickel for each pen, pencil and felt marker in your home.
Friday: Donate ten cents for each pair of socks you own.
Saturday: Contribute a nickel for each book your family owns.
Sunday: Give 50 cents for each pair of shoes your family owns.

At the end of the week, deliver the money you’ve set aside to the person or the charity that God has directed you to.

Key concepts

Many Christians practice the tradition of Lent during the 40 days before Easter. During Lent, people often choose to fast, which means giving up food or certain activities – such as watching TV – in order to seek God more intently. As part of Lent, many people also look for special ways to serve others, or they put aside money to help others.

People choose to make these small sacrifices – like giving up their food, or their time, or entertainment – to remind them what a big sacrifice Jesus made when He gave up His life for us. It also helps them to practice being like Jesus.

We made our “sacrifice” of money so we could practice being like Jesus too, and to show our compassion for those who have much less than we have.

Relevant Scripture

1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?