What we could all learn from Vaughn

Vaughn has been saving for a camera for three- almost four months. He got one for Christmas (it was actually a third-hand archaic digital camera, so nothing to fret about, but he broke it within a week of owning it.) He was so, so sad he cried for a while about that and of course, we used it as an object lesson about how terribly careless he was and how much better than him we were because we didn't break anything that day how important it is to take care of our things. He decided then and there that he would save up and buy himself a camera. First he just had a couple of bucks.

Then it was $5 and $6. When he didn't spend it (or give it to the needy as he's been known to do), we knew he was serious. So we enacted a chore chart that had all the chores on it. Some for money and some just for being in a family. He worked like crazy- always asking if he could do something for money. When he had about $10 he started asking us to look for cameras he could buy. We started checking Craigslist and there was never anything good, but with each new dollar saved, he would ask us to check again. Finally, he had $20 so we went to Target and talked about the couple of cameras he could buy for $20. They were mostly junk and although I didn't ever say that directly, I pointed out what each camera had to offer- and what it didn't. There was a pink (bright pink!) camera that he could afford. I asked him if he cared if it was pink and he said, "I don't care about camera color." So it was close, he was going to buy it, but then he asked if it had video recording and when I said , 'no.' He walked away faster than you can say, "willpower".

Vaughn is a boy who knows, without being told, how to delay gratification. In our trips to Target, Walmart and looks on Craigslist- he never ONCE whined about not having enough money. He never once asked for more money. And he never once cried about not having a camera. And he walked away from a camera he could afford because it wasn't exactly what he wanted.
As we left Target that day, I just marveled at the son God has given me and deep in my heart I knew that one of the reasons he is ours is to sharpen us for the Kingdom. How many times have I whined about wanting something? How many times have I bought the second best (or third or fourth best) thing because it was in front of me? How many times have I schemed Andy for money from our budget because I. WANTED. IT! And how many times has it been just a giant disappointment? I patted my son on the back and told him how amazing it was that he didn't buy that camera and how we could all learn from him.

After that I determined that Vaughn was getting a camera and getting it soon. His chores are worth a quarter each (please don't tell him how cheap we are!) and I told him that this weekend he would have to do A.LOT. of hard work and he could earn the $10 he needed to get a $30 camera we found on Craigslist. He worked tirelessly and he didn't complain once (a value we instilled early on in the chore chart). At the end of the weekend I happily handed him $10 and told the craigslist guy we were coming. On the way there, I told Vaughn that the camera didn't come with a case or an SD card and that he would need both in order to actually operate the camera. I taught him about the art of the deal and how he could offer the seller less money because it didn't have those two things. We got there, he checked on the camera, asked his questions and offered the guy $25. The guy accepted his offer (who would say no to this kid??) and we left.

Today, he gave me his last $5 to buy the SD card on Amazon and I committed to buying him the case. Our Amazon cart is full and so is this boy who is reveling in his new purchase.