Sacrificial Love

I got an early Valentine's Day present yesterday from one of my students. It looks like a pretty typical box of chocolates, but it's not. A Starburst seems to have made its way into this box, and I'm not exactly sure that the chocolates were original to the packaging either. :)

This particular gift comes from the most recent addition to my class. She's extremely quiet, and doesn't particularly want to make any new friends while she's at Horace Mann. In fact, she's pretty sure she'll be moving back to the reservation any day now. As is the case with many of my students, this girl has one parent and a host of siblings she's responsible for. I try not to think about what might go on in their home. And yet, she wanted to give me a gift for Valentine's Day. I have no idea how she came into possession of a heart-shaped box, but I'm pretty certain her family didn't buy it for her. I can only imagine how she must have saved one last Starburst and collected extra chocolates to include in the box, hoping to make the gift a little sweeter.

Her gift reminded me of David in 2 Samuel when he insisted on purchasing the threshing floor and oxen because he would not sacrifice to the LORD his God that which cost him nothing. (2 Sam. 24:24). My box of mismatched chocolates is certainly a sacrificial gift. For a girl who cleans her plate at lunch and takes a backpack of food home on Fridays, I know giving a gift of food shouldn't be taken lightly. It's an amazing thing to work with children who live in need, and give anyway. My goal is to do the same.