Small & Simple Things

Many years ago I started clipping and saving Box Tops for Education labels along with Campbell's Labels for Education for the school my Mother-in-law works at. When we moved to Kentucky and Elizabeth started Kindergarten I asked if they collected the labels. They didn't, but Elizabeth's teacher and I got the ball rolling, or rather got the parents clipping. And in my "spare time" I count and package up all of these labels.

Did you know that each one of those little labels is worth 10 cents. That doesn't sound like much but with the whole school clipping and collecting I have counted 183,300 box tops already this school year. That comes out to $1,830.00. WOW!

I think I have become a bit passionate about these little labels; the other day when I was taking my plastic bottles to be recycled (Happy Earth Day!) I noticed that someone had put two cardboard cereal boxes in with the plastics. I found myself checking to see what kind of cereal they were, and looking for the "box tops" label. Sure enough they were still there so I tore them off and brought them home. When we go grocery shopping my kids like to point out all of the box tops they see on things. Hmmm . . . I wonder where they learned that?

(I hope you are all clipping and collecting labels for your child's, grandchild's or neighbor's child's school. And if their school doesn't collect them, find one that does.)

After I had counted out a batch of labels yesterday that I had picked up from the school, I got to thinking. And remembered a scripture that I discovered as a missionary years ago.

"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." - D&C 64:32

OK, you know I am passionate when I can find applications in the scriptures for "box tops". No, really . . . where the application comes in, is it led me think of the things I do as a Mom for my children. It is rare that I do anything huge and grand for them, but I do lots of little seemingly insignificant things for them everyday. You know those things that are just part of the Mom job description: cooking, cleaning, laundry, changing diapers, driving them places, helping with homework, ensuring that chores are done and done correctly, etc. And when I stop and think about it there is no place I would rather be, than a full-time stay at home mom!