Restroom Rewards

I'm participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursdays Letter "R"

I was righting my rumpled bed this morning while Violet welcomed the morning with a CD recording that had just rang out a song of rhyme and rhetoric about building up our treasures in heaven.
Running into my room, she reflected on the reprise,  raising the question,

"Mom, how do we build up treasures in heaven?"

I raised my gaze to her and responded,

"When we as Christians do things that are right,

it is laying up treasures in heaven.

We are raising a right reward where riches do not rust or rot."

"You mean, if I take all my money from my piggy bank and put it in the offering plate, it will be treasure in heaven?" she reasoned.

I responded that while it is right to return riches to God through the church,

with a rejoicing response,

and that we are required to do that to help get God's work done,

what was actually being written about was doing right;

 because we love the Lord,

and that someday God will reward us in heaven for doing things the right way,

regardless of whether we really wanted to respond rightly.

Responding rightly for God receives eternal rewards.

Violet did not hesitate for a moment, but said,

"Well, I know that you're going to get a reward when we get to heaven."

I must rightly retell that I inwardly relished the fact that she so readily recognized my "reward-worthy rightness". 

I reacted:

"What regal, robust thing could it be?"

And then she responded so resolutely:

"Back when we went to Knoebels..."

~(an amusement park we went to

almost 5 months ago...

Yes, 5 MONTHS AGO).~

"...you let that lady go ahead of you in the line in the Restroom."

I have to admit, I reacted with laughter.

It rose,

rumbling and resonating 'round the room.

  The realization that such a "religious" reward

had been rested upon this response in the crowded restroom

in such a remote location

at such a random moment,

ridiculously rumpled my remembering heart.

But it was so long ago.

My inward eyelids were raised to what our children see and

remember us doing;

what effects them,

in the smallest sense.

The things that we don't even think that they see

can have such a big impact on them:

true religion.

I refocused:

"Humble Pie,"

or rightly deserved redirecting of the pride.

My real person was rattled

with a good dose of

reflective reevaluation:

What about the roughness with which I answered my Romeo

when he playfully roused me, a bit too raucously on Saturday,

so as to rush me into responsibilities

when I wanted more rest?

Or the regret I now had about rambling on about the restaurant cashier who seemed reflective.

Could she not see my rush and respond more rapidly?

But then my daughter reissued the rhetoric:

"I will get a reward when I get to heaven, too."

"Really?" I awoke from my reverie.

"Please, replay your rewarding reason."

She responded:

"I wanted the last roll at Auntie's rehearsal dinner, 

back in May;

but I let the groomsman have it because he wanted it, too."

Relief rode in on reactive laughter,

quickly stifled,

so as not to ridicule her.

If rewards in heaven are reaped so randomly

and with such relatively simple reasoning as this,

unmarred by our regurgitated recommended religious rites; 

albeit with ruthless irregularity,
as the receding months that had raced by since;

if we reap rewards by my daughter's ratings...

well,

let's just say:

Real religion relinquishes rudimentary rights,

resigns self-glory with rejoicing response to repose in the rays of the Redeemer's radiance,

 resulting in real riches.

Or, a more simple answer that Violet might say:

"Real riches come from right responses

to a loving Redeemer."

Linked to:
 Kellys Korner Blog

 Parenting Tip: Our kids are watching us in all we do.

They see our real "religion,"

and it's often in the small things.

Time-Warp-Wife
Women Taking a Stand: Thankful-Thursday
Kennedy Mom and Wife: Terrific-Thursday
Spiritual Sunday
Hip Homeschool Moms: Hip-Homeschool-Hop