| Matthew 19:14 – “But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” |
My wife suggested that, this past Saturday night, we keep the grandkids so that our son and daughter-in-law could have the evening free to celebrate her birthday. We arrived at 5:15 PM for check in. After a few instructions and a break in period, they headed out for a movie and dinner. Milo, 3 years old, wanted to go with them, and I had to restrain him physically as they pulled out. Mary Linda suggested a bike ride, and he quickly focused on his shoes and socks, putting them on. Distractions are a good way to change his focus. We took 2 month old Sage along in the stroller. I walked beside Milo on his pedal bike with training wheels. He went at a pleasant pace that didn’t push me too much. After we got back to their house, I spent some time talking very exaggeratedly to Sage. She goo-goo’ed and gaa-gaa’ed back at me, and kicked her feet constantly. She grabbed my finger, smiled, and made eye contact with me. I could not help but think how innocent babies are. They have done nothing to anger you yet. Oh, yes, you have to get up in the middle of sound sleep to tend to their needs, but they are a blank slate as far as misdeeds go. Milo had a pretty neat Hot Wheels track. I tried running a Matchbox car on it, but it wouldn’t work. I asked Milo where the cars were that could run on the track. He pulled out a large plastic jar full of cars of all sized. I pulled out seven that were appropriate for it, and began running them down the raceway. Milo found the school bus and began blocking the path of the track at the bottom of the track. Then he would pull it out of the way and let the seven cars pass through. Immediately, I would hear “Do it again, Papa! Do it again.” So, I would load the seven cars into my two hands and one by one launch them down the raceway. Same result. School bus blocked the way at the bottom, and then he let them through. “Do it again.” And we did, about 20 or more times. Not much talking going on, just some fun. It was like the old joke. “I was watching a fight one night, when a hockey game broke out.” Well, we were looking around for something to do and some fun broke out. Time was bent for a few minutes. Oh, it still ticked off, one second at a time, but I was oblivious to it’s passing. Maybe it is similar to what happens on a merry-go-round when you move from the outer edge to the center. The world stops spinning in the same way. It is different. A calm exists. Time didn’t freeze, but I became unaware of it’s forward march. I read him bedtime stories, brushed his teeth, and said a prayer with him. We shared a few minutes of play. I was younger for a few minutes. I recommend it. Want to feel young again? As you pass “GO”, take time to play. Father in heaven, help me to spend my remaining days wisely, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
-Jeff Beall
