Children Celebrating the Seasons

Like many Christian children growing up, we didn't participate in Halloween or get visits from the Easter bunny. But that didn't mean we missed out on all the fun. Mom believed there was something else to celebrate: God's kindness in the change of seasons.

So, on the first Saturday of autumn, we celebrated Fall Special Treat Night. Mom would invite a small group of our friends to participate. Everyone came dressed as a different character--usually a princess or Mary (Jesus' mother) if you were a girl, or a soldier if you were a guy.

We would have a dinner of hot dogs, chips, jello, etc.--but each portion of the meal was eaten at a different person's house. We would walk to designated homes nearby and a parent would drive us to homes further away. And not only did we get a meal, but candy at each person's house as well.

The most memorable stop was Grandpa and Grandma Mahaney's where Grandpa would have a bowl of pennies with dimes mixed in. We had to close our eyes and fish around in the bowl trying to come up with as many dimes as possible in our little fist. With candy, coins, and a full tummy, I think we felt as rich as any millionaire!

But more than that, from an early age we learned to mark and appreciate the change of seasons as a lavish expression of God's common grace to man. And that, indeed, made us truly rich!