Hi all! I [Rachel] decided to hijack Micah's blog here because 1) his life has just been all drama recently, and 2) watching my son yesterday was one of the most precious experiences I've had with him yet in his 12 months of life and I don't want to forget about it.
Judah and I went to the car garage to get my inspection sticker (the car originally failed but we had the problem fixed and now needed the pass sticker as well as an oil change and an alignment). In all truth, I hate hate hate car issues and car work because it becomes a stressful time of figuring out how to get where and changing car seats and money and everything else that comes from car issues so I was anxious to just get it all done. Ina graciously took Elijah to breakfast with her and I figured I could entertain Judah while the car work was being done.
Well, I was wrong. I actually didn't NEED to entertain Judah because he quickly became 'friends' with one of the gentlemen pumping gas. I wish I could have figured out what his name was but he had a thick accent and some language barriers. But he loved Judah and Judah loved him! He would go outside and bang on the window and make Judah giggle. He'd come in and Judah would run to him with his arms up and he would pick him up. Judah would smile as he gave him hugs and follow him around whenever he came back inside. We were there for over an hour, but this man didn't lose interest. He and the other men there were patient with Judah's cries of frustration and laughed when he would try to run away from me into an area he couldn't go. The gentleman was from Jordan and so we chatted a bit about my boys Lebanese heritage. At this point, Judah went from being "my baby" to "my cousin." It was like we were family. Judah even waved to him while he pumped gas outside in the cold. When it was time to go I thanked everyone and Judah screamed and arched his back to avoid leaving. The gentleman came up and waved through the car window. I couldn't believe that this man, who was likely in his forties, spent over an hour playing with a one year old he'd never met before and loving all the attention and care Judah was giving to him!
I often dread when I need to bring my boys somewhere in which they need to sit and be quiet for any period of time. We can do it and we do it but it is a lot of work and very stressful for Micah and I. I am fully aware of my responsibility as a parent or a friend of a parent to love children of all ages, care for their needs, and teach them what they need for life. But how easily do I forget to stop and learn from them!
As I left, I was reminded of an amazing sermon I heard about a child's place in the kingdom of God. Matthew 18:3 says, "And he [Jesus] said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." While it is important for us to teach them, children can and do minister to people as the Lord directs them and we can learn from them! Judah taught me so much in that hour about what loving a stranger meant and how it looked. While he might not have realized it (or maybe he did), Judah ministered to that gentleman and to me yesterday. He made the day a little better and brighter, and without any words at his disposal broke down a multitude of language and cultural barriers-- not a bad day for just turning one!
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