I had done everything right, just as I had been taught. I had set a goal and worked toward it. I thought that if I saved all that I could, my dream would soon come true. I was eleven years old. As the day for my great reward neared, my bubble was broken. I watched as my trophy slipped through my fingers and into the hands of someone else. It hurt at first, thinking about all of the fun times that I had missed, working many jobs and saving every penny for a new bicycle. Yet in a profound way, the Lord and my parents were teaching us about compassion and giving and working toward a goal. My older brother and I were blessed beyond measure by that lesson. I reach out to parents and especially Christian parents to be creative with solid life lessons and your children will be solid believers when they grow old. If you are a grandparent, you will want to read this story to your grandchildren. They will be blessed and you will return to times past when life was simple. Much has changed since those days, but that's just the way it was growing up in our house.