Educational Whispers (6)
Instill gratitude and return the favor… when gratitude becomes a value in the hearts of our children
Today, we have a great need to instill values and morals in the souls of our children, so that this is reflected in their relationships with others! It is the whole responsibility of the family first, then of the teacher, of the educator of the generations, then.
There are many values we need to instill: honesty, compassion, tolerance, generosity, and courage, but there is one very big value that we often overlook: gratitude and reciprocation.
Consider with me this story that changed the life of a millionaire and taught the world an unforgettable lesson in gratitude.
First: Why do we instill the value of gratitude in children?
Fruits of gratitude:
1. It connects the child to his Creator:
Give thanks to God first, then to people. God Almighty said:Give thanks to Me and do not doubt(Al-Baqarah: 152).
2. This makes it popular among people:
People love those who thank them and acknowledge their thanks.
3. Increases blessings:
God Almighty said:If you are grateful, I will surely give you more(Ibrahim: 7).
4. Protects against arrogance and arrogance:
A grateful person recognizes that others have been good to them, so they become humble.
5. Creates a compassionate generation:
A child who learns to be grateful also learns to give.
Second: The story: The millionaire and the disabled child
In a television interview, a presenter sat with his guest, a millionaire man known for his vast wealth and charitable works.
The channel asked him:
“What is the happiest thing in your life? Is it money? Is it palaces? Is it businesses?”
The millionaire smiled and said:
“I’ve traveled the world, owned planes and yachts, lived in incredible palaces, but the happiest thing in my life didn’t come from this mortal world. Let me tell you a story…”
The beginning of the story:
The millionaire said:
“One day a dear friend called me and said: I know a group of disabled children. They need wheelchairs. Can you help me buy them?”
The millionaire did not hesitate for a single moment. He said to his friend:
“I’ll buy all the chairs they need. How much? How much do the chairs cost? I’ll pay for everything.”
A friend’s insistence:
But the friend had another request. He said:
“I don’t just want you to buy the chairs. I want you to come with me and give the gift yourself. You want to see the joy in their eyes.”
The millionaire hesitated a little. He was busy, he had meetings, but he said to himself: “Why not? I’ll go for half an hour, and then I’ll come back.”
He went with him.
The millionaire walked into a room containing a group of children in old wheelchairs, some of whom were broken and others unable to move. The children looked at him with eyes full of hope and sadness.
The millionaire himself distributed the new chairs, child after child.
An indescribable joy:
Millionaire says:
“I saw indescribable joy, the children were smiling, some were crying with joy. They started moving the new chairs in all directions, laughing, running, walking around the room as if it were a playground.”
I thought it was happiness, I thought it was the moment that would stay in my heart, but what happened next was even greater.
Third: The moment that changed the millionaire’s life
Millionaire says:
“After I finished distributing, I was about to leave. I was happy, but that was normal. Suddenly I felt something grab my leg. I looked down.
Unforgettable scene:
“I saw a young child, no more than seven years old, sitting on the new chair I had given him, but he was not moving. He held my leg tightly and his eyes were firmly fixed on my face.
He didn’t take his eyes off me. He looked at me as if he wanted to draw my features into his heart.
I felt something strange, I leaned towards him, put my hand on his head and asked him gently:
“Do you want anything else from me, son? Do you need more help? Do you want money? Do you want toys? Tell me and I’ll do anything for you.”
The shocking answer:
The child said in a weak but clear voice, expressing astonishing confidence and faith:
“No uncle, I don’t want money, I don’t want toys, I just want one thing.”
The millionaire asked him impatiently:
“What do you want, my son?”
The strange child says:
“I want to remember the features of your face. I want to memorize the shape of your eyes, the shape of your nose and the shape of your smile. I want to know you when I meet you in Heaven, God willing, so that I can thank you again before my Lord.”
Fourth: The effect of the word on the millionaire
The millionaire said, with tears streaming down his face:
“When I heard these words, I felt as if lightning had fallen from the sky, as if my heart had stopped for a moment, as if the world was spinning around me.
This child doesn’t want anything in the world from me, he doesn’t want a better chair, he doesn’t want money, he doesn’t want fame.
He wants to thank me in heaven. He wants to stand before God and say, “This man did me a favor. Oh my God, thank you.
Who taught him that? Who taught him these phrases?
My life has completely changed:
Follow the millionaire:
“From that moment on, my life completely changed. I used to give money without feeling it, I gave without feeling the value, but this child taught me that true giving is what stays in hearts up to heaven.
The story left an impact on me that will never go away. Every time I wanted to show my money, I remembered that child’s eyes, and every time I complained about something, I remembered thanking him.
Fifth: lessons learned from history
Lesson 1: Thank you is not just a word
•This child not only said “thank you”, but also thought of thank you in the afterlife.
•True gratitude comes with a deep feeling of gratitude.
•Teach your children that gratitude is worship and that anyone who thanks people thanks God.
Lesson Two: Teaching by example pays off
•Who taught this child this? Who instilled these values in him?
•Either a good family, or a good teacher, or a good environment.
•The child did not appear out of nowhere; someone planted that seed in him.
Lesson 3: Children are more aware than we think
•This child is physically disabled, but his heart is healthy, his mind is conscious, and his faith is strong.
•Don’t underestimate the minds of children, they understand more than we think.
Lesson Four: Doing Good Deeds Brings Double Reward
•The millionaire gave money, but was surprised by a more important gift: a thank you note from a child.
•Sometimes giving financially brings you an invaluable moral reward.
Lesson Five: Heaven is the destination of the grateful
•This child did not say, “I will thank you in this world,” but instead said, “In heaven.”
•Teach your children that the world is fleeting and that the true reward is with God.
Sixth: How can we instill the value of gratitude in our children?
1. Teach them to thank God first.
•Teach them to say, “Praise God” for every blessing: while eating, drinking, sleeping, and waking.
•Explain to them that everything comes from God: health, family, home and money.
2. Teach them to thank people
•He, God bless him and grant him peace, said: “He who does not thank people does not thank God. »
•Teach your child to say: “Thank you dad, thank you mom, thank you teacher, thank you friend.” »
3. Be a model of gratitude
•Thank your wife in front of your children.
•Thank your parents in front of them.
•Thank the waiter, the seller and the driver.
4. Tell them stories of grateful people
•The story of this disabled child.
•The story of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, with his companions and how he thanked them.
•The story of Solomon, peace be upon him, when he said:This is from the grace of my Lord, so that He can test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful.(An-Naml: 40).
5. Teach them to give back through action
•Thank you, it’s not just words. Teach your son to return a favor with a favor.
•If someone does him a favor, let him do someone else a favor.
Seventh: Applied Models for Cultivating Gratitude
The first form: gratitude journals
Ask your child to write (or draw) three things each day that they are grateful to God for; This teaches him to think about blessings.
The second form: thank you letters
Encourage him to write a thank you note to his teacher, grandparent, or friend who helped him.
The third model: reciprocate
If someone gives them a gift, help them prepare a simple gift to return the favor.
Model Four: Praying for the Absent
Teach him to pray for someone who has done him good, even if he hasn’t seen it. Say to him: “Say: Oh my God, reward him well. »
Eighth: Mistakes in Gratitude
1. Not appreciating the gift of the child
If your son thanks you, do not say, “It is my duty,” but rather say, “Thank you, my son, you are kind.”
2. Constant complaints in front of children
If you’re always complaining about life, how does your child learn to be grateful?
3. Satisfy them without limits
A child who takes whatever he wants effortlessly does not learn the value of blessings and therefore does not give thanks.
4. Neglecting to thank them for their efforts
Your son studies and works hard, thank him. Your daughter cleans her room, thank her. This teaches them that gratitude is the rule of life.
Ninth: Comparison between two children:
A child raised to be grateful:
•He always says thank you to God.
•He thanks his parents with his tongue and his heart.
•He apologizes when he makes a mistake.
•He appreciates what he has.
•People love him.
A child who was not raised to be grateful:
•Always complaining.
•He doesn’t acknowledge anyone’s thanks.
•He feels like everything is owed to him.
•He never apologizes.
•Nobody likes him.
Choose the path you want for your children.
Tenth: The conclusion of the hamsa
This is how we raise our children, attach them to the values and teachings of religion and instill in them respect and appreciation of others from a very young age.
Who taught him this speech in the previous story? Is it the family or the teacher?
Answer:Both together; The family plants, the teacher waters, a good environment develops, and a wise educator nourishes.
Conclusion:
•Teach your children to thank God first.
•Then teach them to thank people.
•Teach them to reciprocate. Thirdly.
•Fourth, be a role model for them.
•Don’t get tired of repeating. Fifth.
Eleventh: The supplication of the grateful.
Teach your children this simple supplication:
“O God, may You be praised for every blessing. O God, make us among those who are grateful and remember. O God, whoever does good to us in this world, reward him with kindness in this world and in the Hereafter. O God, we thank You, so do not deprive us of Your gratitude and more.”
In conclusion:
“A word of gratitude from a disabled child changed the life of a millionaire. So what about a word of gratitude from you? Do not underestimate gratitude. Your word can be a reason for a person’s happiness, and it can be a reason for your entry into Paradise. He, may the prayers and peace of God be upon him, said: “The most beloved of actions towards God is the pleasure that you bring to a Muslim”, so gratitude is the brings happiness.”