The night before Valentine’s Day I looked at the Halloween buckets full of Christmas candy sitting on the kitchen table. Then I threw all the candy away. That’s not a household policy, but we had just been to the dentist, and I was feeling especially motivated.
Besides, I knew the Valentine’s candy would be coming through the door—and it did. I started by looking through Daniel’s candy to remove the candy he isn’t allowed to have—dentist’s rules. He was a little sad that I was taking some of his prized candy.
So we made a deal.
“I’ll buy these from you,” I told him. Our little boy who usually isn’t motivated much by money considered his options. He wasn’t going to get that gummy, chewy candy, so he might as well give in.
“OK,” he said finally.
We bargained prices back and forth, and in the end I paid much more than I wanted to for three packages of candy I will never eat. But it was a dollar well spent if it saves us from additional dental work.
Even with his dollar in hand, our resident first grader still didn’t seem completely sold on the idea. Candy is candy, you know. And Valentine’s candy is extra special.
“Aren’t you lucky!” I said, acting as if our little boy had won the lottery. “Now you have a whole dollar for your bank!”
He gave me a look only a child with the wisdom of a 7-year-old can pull off.
“Mama,” he said, “money isn’t everything, you know. God is everything.”
So I may be short a dollar, but I have three packages of candy and a lesson in faith. I’d say I got my money’s worth. And money isn’t everything.