Sometimes I am astonished by the many ways people find to be good.
Today at the Ranch, we received a $5 donation. We are incredibly grateful and are careful stewards of each and every gift. This gift came with two letters, one from a teacher at a Christian school, and the other from her student.
The letter from the teacher was written to the student. It said, in part, "As my Christmas gift to you, I have included a five-dollar bill in this envelope. The last week, you have researched a specific organization or nonprofit; you are doing research and writing a letter to me describing what services they provide, how they help the community, and why you think we should support them. I took your thoughts into consideration, and decided that my gift to you is this: the gift of being able to give. I am asking you to donate your $5 to the charity or organization that you are writing your letter to... I truly believe that you desire to give to the organization or nonprofit of your choice... There are no limits to what you can give — YOU are capable of great things."
What an inspiration and role model this teacher is! She really put her values in front of the children and showed them what true character looks like. She treated each child with respect, which I so wish more children had the chance to experience.
The second letter was written from the student back to the teacher in the form of fact and persuasion. The student shared lots of facts and figures she had obviously researched about the Ranch. However, beyond the logic of her presentation, was this thought, "They give kids second chances to do good." This child doesn't know about the trauma of mental health, but she does know everyone deserves a second chance. She also said that at the Ranch the kids "go outside and that's important." Yup. It is important for children to play.
It is an honor to see the world from many angles. The really good ones I hang onto.
In His love,
Joy Ryan, President/CEO
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
The deadline to direct Thrivent Choice Dollars® is MARCH 31, 2021.
Your Thrivent Choice Dollars® can be used to support multiple organizations each year. At the Ranch, we use all Thrivent Choice® funds for our Spiritual Life Program. Your support is vital in giving our precious children the foundation of faith they need to thrive. To direct your Choice Dollars® to the Ranch, simply go to Thrivent.com/thriventchoice, login, and choose Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. To direct Choice Dollars® over the phone, call 1-800-847-4863 and say "Thrivent Choice," after the prompt. Thank you for your continued support of our ministry!
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