Gabi does it again.

The other night while on our road trip across America we stopped for dinner just outside Kansas City. We had been in North Dakota and were driving to Kansas City for the night. We had been in the car for about 13 of our 15 hour drive and stopped to eat at Olive Garden. Gabi was so excited because one of her favorite foods is pasta! Well, if you have ever eaten at the OG you know that at the end of the meal they bring you an Andes mint, who doesn't love chocolate and mint!?! Gabi may have had one before but did not remember what they were, and when she ate hers, she loved it! Michelle ate hers and John, who was playing with us over the weekend, ate his. I was so full I could not even think of eating another thing, not even a little piece of chocolate. So I decided to give mine to Michelle, and she said to go ahead and give it to Gabi.

Now, the other day when Gabi came home from school she was telling us that they had learned the 3rd person rule, Jesus - Others - You. JOY. She told us how we should always put Jesus first, others second, and ourselves third. That goes right along with what we are always talking about with Gabi, Loving God and Loving Others, and how we can do that every day even in little ways.

So, Gabi takes the candy, opens it, and without giving it a thought, she takes it and breaks it. She looked at it and saw that it didn't break exactly in half. She examines the pieces and takes the smaller piece and puts it in her mouth and hands the bigger half to Michelle. My heart nearly burst out of my chest! I could not believe this amazing little girl! We all immediately told her how proud we were of her for wanting to share, but more than that, how she decided to give the bigger piece away. She looked at us and said, " I was using the 3rd person rule. Jesus, Others, You." Which blew me away even more.

I realized how often I don't practice this simple rule. I like to keep the bigger, better piece for myself. I often times get the 3rd person rule backwards. Y - O - J. I think of myself before others. I am learning so much from my sweet 5 yr old!

I will never look at an Andes mint the same!