"Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails;
That's what little boys are
made of." --Mother Goose
The following story is about a little 3 year old boy (we'll call him Matt). Now Matt is magazine caliber adorable. He's blond with bright blue eyes, and is constantly smiling. He has one of the brightest faces I have ever seen. His mom dresses him in a kind of "3-year-old-skater" look. He is so cute. Even though he's not one of my students, I know him relatively well. I've gotten to know the 3-year olds pretty well, since we all play together at recess time.
Matt is rarely in trouble. He's a good listener and very nice. I don't think I've ever seen him on the giving end of a troublesome act. He's just an all around good kid. I'm a huge fan of Matt.
So on Friday I happened to be working with the 2 year olds for about an hour. One of the teacher's was out on vacation, so they needed someone to fill in for a short amount of time. On Fridays we take the kids to gymnastics, which involves two teachers--one in the front of the line and one in the back--because we have to climb a staircase that curves around a corner. It's important to make sure all the kids can be monitored at any given time, in case they fall.
It was my job to gather of the 2 and 3 year olds that were enrolled to go to gymnastics. (Not an easy task. Haha.) We were already about 15 minutes late, due to some other factors, so tensions were running high. I was getting them together, when Matt walked up to the group. I was just about to call over to him, "Matt, get in line! We're going to gymnastics!" when I saw him. His hands, arms, and shins were covered with packed wet sand and dirt.
"Matt! What happened to you?" I cried out.
He looked at me, thrust his arms and hands in front of him and answered, "I'll wash my hands!" and hurried over to the drinking fountain.
Choking back exasperation and laughter (a rather odd combination, but ask anyone with kids or who works with kids and they will tell you they've experienced it) I said, "No, Matt, come here. We need to go to the bathroom."
I ushered him into the bathroom, followed by the 10 or so other children that were supposed to go to gymnastics. I shooed them out of the bathroom to wait with the gymnastics teacher and her assistant, while Matt rinsed wave after wave of dirt off of his hands and arms.
"Matt, what happened to you?" I asked again, while I wetted three sheets of paper towels in an attempt to deal with his muddy shins.
"I played in the dirt!" he answered, grinning from ear to ear.
Again, laughing to myself and lamenting the mess, I worked on wiping the mud off his shins. The paper towels at work are a joke. I think I was only succeeding in moving the mud around.
Just then the gymnastics assistant looked into the bathroom and laughed. "If I were you, " she said, "I'd just take off his shoes and socks and put him in the sink."
I paused for about two seconds, as Matt continued to rinse his hands. "You know, that's not a bad idea."
I started to undo Matt's converse and socks (which were equally caked with mud).
"What are you doing?" asked Matt.
"Putting you in the sink. Here, I'm going to pick you up, just hold on to me."
I picked him up and stuck his feet in the sink. With one arm secured tightly around his waist, I scrubbed the mud and dirt off one leg and then the other with my other hand. Matt was positively beaming.
Since we can't have the kids walking around with bare feet, I had to carry him up the stairs to gymnastics, and back down again when we were done. I laughed the entire way. Matt was ecstatic.
The best part? They couldn't get his shoes and socks clean for him to wear the rest of the day. So he had to wear the girl's faux leather costume boots from the dress-up box. When his dad came to pick him up, he didn't want to take them off...so he went home like that--all the while smiling his heart out.
I love my job. I love little boys, and I love that God created them to love making messes.
It sounds funny, but it was the moment that I hoisted Matt into the sink that made me 100% sure that one day I want to have sons just as much as I want to have daughters. They are so much fun. I found it extremely encouraging. :)
I hope this story brought as much joy to you as it brought to me...and to Matt. :)
Until next time!
Hannah
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Walking on Water
I was sent home sick from work today. I think I'm getting a cold. I'm hoping to head it off at the pass, rather than be miserable for a week. However, I couldn't fall asleep, so I decided to have a quiet time instead. I was extremely encouraged by a very familiar passage. I hope you are too. :)
"Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Matthew 14: 22-33
I don't know how many times I've heard this story. Truth be told, it's one of my favorites. I've heard a lot of sermons and talks on it too--it seems to be a favorite of many. Glad to know I'm in good company. But today I read it again, and I noticed some things that I hope will bring comfort to you. I may be stealing a little from sermons I've heard in the past, but when something clicks, I just feel compelled to share.
Whenever I've heard this story, it's usually in reference to a hardship going on in someone's life. People always say, "Trust the Lord. Jesus will calm the storm. Just look at Matthew 14."
That's true. Jesus is powerful to calm the storm. I think about that often. But upon reading this today, I was struck with something incredible that I'm not sure I noticed before: Why didn't Jesus calm the storm before asking Peter to walk on the water?
I know what you're thinking--because Jesus wanted to test his faith. True. But wouldn't it have been testing his faith enough to ask Peter to walk on water at all, let alone during a storm? I don't know about you guys, but I have never been able to walk on the water in my swimming pool, and it's definitely glassy calm out there. (And I've tried, trust me. Haha!) If Jesus asked me to walk on it right now, I would hope that I would trust Him to do it...but it would be a step of faith at all, just to avoid looking foolish.
It's incredible to me that Jesus chose to calm the storm after He asked Peter to walk on the water, and saved Him from drowning.
I think about the storms in my life. So often we want God to remove those storms. But He wants us to walk through them. I'm not implying that He is not faithful to calm the storm, but rather that He is also faithful to sustain us through the storm...even when we falter like Peter does here.
I love Peter. He's my favorite disciple. He's so genuine. He wants so badly to follow Jesus, and has such incredible intentions. He always chases after Him with 110%, and always falls on his face. And yet, Jesus still loves Him.
I find that so encouraging. How many times do I strive after Jesus and fall flat on my face? Too many to count, friends. And yet, Jesus still loves me, and is not only willing to calm the storm, but also will sustain me in it. He asks me to trust Him in the storm, not simply to trust Him to make it disappear. In that way, the storm seems like a huge blessing to me.
I love those stories. I love seeing God's goodness and faithfulness to sustain me through the storm and to redeem me when I fail. It makes me want to walk on water that much more.
It's nice, because right now I feel like I'm in a rut. I'm in what I've been calling a "waiting period", and sometimes it really feels like a storm. Some days I am content, and others I cannot imagine being in this time for another second. It's been a step of faith to ask God to help sustain me daily.
I am so encouraged that Jesus asks us to trust Him in the midst of the storm, rather than to trust Him just to get rid of the storm. Because if He asks us to trust Him, it's because He is faithful to bring us through. And that is incredible to me.
Until next time! :)
"Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God." Matthew 14: 22-33
I don't know how many times I've heard this story. Truth be told, it's one of my favorites. I've heard a lot of sermons and talks on it too--it seems to be a favorite of many. Glad to know I'm in good company. But today I read it again, and I noticed some things that I hope will bring comfort to you. I may be stealing a little from sermons I've heard in the past, but when something clicks, I just feel compelled to share.
Whenever I've heard this story, it's usually in reference to a hardship going on in someone's life. People always say, "Trust the Lord. Jesus will calm the storm. Just look at Matthew 14."
That's true. Jesus is powerful to calm the storm. I think about that often. But upon reading this today, I was struck with something incredible that I'm not sure I noticed before: Why didn't Jesus calm the storm before asking Peter to walk on the water?
I know what you're thinking--because Jesus wanted to test his faith. True. But wouldn't it have been testing his faith enough to ask Peter to walk on water at all, let alone during a storm? I don't know about you guys, but I have never been able to walk on the water in my swimming pool, and it's definitely glassy calm out there. (And I've tried, trust me. Haha!) If Jesus asked me to walk on it right now, I would hope that I would trust Him to do it...but it would be a step of faith at all, just to avoid looking foolish.
It's incredible to me that Jesus chose to calm the storm after He asked Peter to walk on the water, and saved Him from drowning.
I think about the storms in my life. So often we want God to remove those storms. But He wants us to walk through them. I'm not implying that He is not faithful to calm the storm, but rather that He is also faithful to sustain us through the storm...even when we falter like Peter does here.
I love Peter. He's my favorite disciple. He's so genuine. He wants so badly to follow Jesus, and has such incredible intentions. He always chases after Him with 110%, and always falls on his face. And yet, Jesus still loves Him.
I find that so encouraging. How many times do I strive after Jesus and fall flat on my face? Too many to count, friends. And yet, Jesus still loves me, and is not only willing to calm the storm, but also will sustain me in it. He asks me to trust Him in the storm, not simply to trust Him to make it disappear. In that way, the storm seems like a huge blessing to me.
I love those stories. I love seeing God's goodness and faithfulness to sustain me through the storm and to redeem me when I fail. It makes me want to walk on water that much more.
It's nice, because right now I feel like I'm in a rut. I'm in what I've been calling a "waiting period", and sometimes it really feels like a storm. Some days I am content, and others I cannot imagine being in this time for another second. It's been a step of faith to ask God to help sustain me daily.
I am so encouraged that Jesus asks us to trust Him in the midst of the storm, rather than to trust Him just to get rid of the storm. Because if He asks us to trust Him, it's because He is faithful to bring us through. And that is incredible to me.
Until next time! :)
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