The Doll Dress

The Doll Dress

We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.

Romans 15:2

My daughter and I were in the car when the topic arose. She adores the American Girl doll that her grandma and aunt gave her several years ago, and she has been happily receiving clothes and accessories for her doll on birthdays and at Christmas. She asks to bring her doll whenever she goes to play at a friend’s house, especially when her friends also have similar dolls.

As we chatted, my daughter mentioned in passing that she had given away one of her doll’s outfits—and not just any of them, but a beautiful, expensive dress. Surprised, I started thinking of a nice way to tell her that she needed to get the dress back, until my daughter’s explanation stopped me in my tracks.

She explained that she gave the dress away because her friend didn’t have beautiful clothes for her doll—in fact, her friend really didn’t have a whole lot to dress her doll in and didn’t have a dress at all. My daughter noticed and simply gave the dress to her. She explained how much her friend loves the dress, how beautiful her doll looks in it, and how much fun they had playing with their dolls and pretending that they were in old-fashioned times.

As my daughter’s explanation washed over me, my irritation faded. Swallowing my words of censure, I instead complimented her thoughtfulness, her generosity, and her kindness. She did exactly what my husband and I pray that our children will do—she saw a need and met it with generosity. And it wasn’t a big deal to her—it was simply part of the ebb and flow of her life. She didn’t mark the occasion as something extraordinary but simply as an ordinary kindness shown to a friend she loves.

We are called to build up one another in the Lord, helping and supporting others in doing what is right. I will not, cannot, censure my daughter for giving a good, generous gift of her own accord to someone else. I will not stifle the Holy Spirit’s gentle nudge in her young life, and instead, I will cheer her on every step of the way.

—Julie

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Look for someone who is doing the right thing, and then celebrate them.