Yep. That’s me. No rules.

I hate rules.

I am a believer in small government, trust in God and helping others. Rules do not make it for me. Laws do not make people better. Taxes do not cause people to be better givers. And I do not need the government to help me help others.

I was not always that way. For instance giving for me was difficult thing. (Having any joy over anything was hard.) Becoming a believer in Christ changed that for me. But I struggled with the rules about giving. Now I just give because I want to. Not because I believe I have to or I ought to. (If you want to tithe or give imputed offerings that is your deal.)I don’t like government out of control or any of that either. I don’t like being told who I need to go to see a doctor or where I can or can’t go. (I am not an anarchist but I have been around long enough to see the results of over regulation and economic failures like the Post Office and such.)

Rules did not make me a better person. Perhaps the people that made the rules thought I was but let’s be honest they did not see you or I when they were not around. My freedom has made me a better person.

And with that let me share something that happened yesterday.

I admit I am not a “big fan” of Yankee swaps, but I understand lots of people enjoy them. Certainly the idea of “life is not fair” can be conveyed in that moment where the child has the gift they want and another comes along with a higher number to “claim” it. In a world of “everyone is entitled” this game “works against it.

So a young boy gets a motorcycle toy and is ecstatic. A short while later my grandson Jacob gets one of the later numbers. He goes and gets the motorcycle and gives the child his gift. The other child is heartbroken. Rough on my daughter. Rough on the mom. (Single moms have it tough sometimes.)

A little while later my grandson Jacob (Jacob is 6) goes over without being coached or coerced and asks the younger child if he wanted to trade back.

So many have already contacted me or talked to me to let me know how sweet Jacob is. (Yes, I do know that.)

Life is not “always fair” and whether Jacob had traded back or not later would have been fine. But I am proud of one who set an “example” of sorts to others.

I have long said that if you teach children about the grace of God and the empowerment of God in their lives, they will begin to use that power in them and make good choices. When we make rules for children (and others) all they do is learn to rely on the rules…until they don’t want to. Our strong emphasis on rules, laws and such never cause them or anyone to trust in God.

We want to protect them from “everything” but the reality of it is we must learn to trust.

You can keep your rules. Keep your tax bills and over-inflated government. (Yesterday’s headline “Let’s give unemployment to workers for Christmas!”) Let me give the way I want to give.

For me I will choose to teach others to trust in God and rely on Him. Long after rules and laws have been changed, removed and modified, God will still be the same.

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