“How will
them love me?”
This from my
little boy with big brown eyes, like a puppy.
Standing in front of me this morning in his new Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles shirt, backpack on, he adds, “I have a new shirt.”
//
“I feel . .
. what’s the word? Not scared . . .”
Blond hair,
blue-green eyes, he scrunches his face in the morning sunlight. Gears turn as he searches for the new word he’s
learned in the days leading up to the first day at a new preschool. The new word gives name to something he’s
known up until now only by its bodily sensation.
“Nervous?” I
offer.
“Yeah!” he
says, “Nervous.”
Naming it
eases the tension in his face. For now,
naming it is enough.
//
“I feel
scared. What if I don’t know all the
letters?” Isaiah asks.
The older
two have boarded buses headed to separate schools and the twins are strapped
into the van. Then we too are off. Just down the road, we pass the old preschool.
“When will
we see our teachers again?” Isaiah asks, in a tone of melancholy. “Them really loved us.”
//
These little
boys of mine will be fine, but oh, their honest, transparent hearts. Their simple words, their freedom to be
utterly vulnerable with me.
In their
openness, they open a window to my own heart – to each of our hearts. For we each carry within us similar
questions, similar fears.
How will
they love me?
What if I
don’t know enough?
This day, I
hope you will take time to tend to the child within you. The one that asks such simple, clear questions. I hope you will remember that each person you
meet also carries similar questions.
That within the eyes of a stranger you will see the eyes of a little
boy, a little girl, who simply wants to know they are loved.
And
you? Yes, you?
Oh, friend,
you are loved. You are enough.
May you hear
the voice of the One who calls you Beloved.
* * *
Welcome to the #SmallWonder link-up.
What if we chose to deliberately look for the small moments of wonder, the small sparks of presence, of delight or sorrow, of true humanity in which we meet God?
That’s my proposal – that we gather here each week to share one moment of Wonder from each of our days.
You’re invited to link-up a brief post about a small moment of wonder. Don’t worry if your post is too long, too short, or not just right – you’re welcome to come as you are.
While you’re here, please do take a look around and encourage at least one other blogger with a comment.
Be still my heart—that sweet little face is so precious.
How wise to learn how to name. Sometimes that alone takes the sting out of things. Other times it serves us well to name to know how to share with others to bring healing. Thanks for this today, Kelly. Beautiful truths of real-life living, as always.
Thanks, Lisa.
This is a precious reminder that the "issues" I deal with today are nameable, and if I look at their names, I will see pretty basic fears and worries and insecurities that have been with me for all time. We really need our Heavenly Father to put those fears to rest, don't we?
Yes, so many of our issues come down to the desire to be loved and accepted as we are and, in God, we find those needs met.
"Will them love me?" Oh, Kelly, this brings tears to my eyes. I'm heading off to second grade later on today and will carry this question and answer with me–yes, children. You are loved.
I'm so glad you're there in the classrooms, Jody.
These are words I needed to hear today as I face a task for which I am unsuited by temperament and lack of knowledge. A memory is stirred: I am at the blackboard in front of the class trying to work out a math problem, while snickers erupt behind my back. What if I don’t know enough? Why won't the teacher help me? Will them love me?
So glad that you have reminded me today that I am loved, that I am enough.
I usually did quite well in school, but because of frequent mid-year moves, I sometimes ended up behind in class. I remember the terror of that feeling – not knowing what I was supposed to know, being afraid of being found-out. I hope your task went well enough and that, in it, you remembered that you ARE precious in the eyes of God.
Ahhhhh… your sweet boys! There's something heartbreakingly lovely about little boys, despite all the noise and chaos that surrounds them. What I want to know is, how did you cope?
Yes, just precious! No tears, really, they were in preschool some last year. I'm finding the newly opening space around me exciting and also grieving the passing of this period in life, we are rounding corners again into a new stage – someday I'll remember that rounding corners is pretty much the way of life!
Oh that face! May we remember that we all struggle with insecurities. And yes, may we hear the voice of the One who loves us deeply and always.
Thanks, Joanne.
Tender, precious! What little children can teach us! I love the description of your little ones!