something I get to do

One of my favorite things in this season of life is being able to spend a little time in my son's classroom. He is only in first grade and I love the few hours I get each month to work with the kids in his class on reading or math or really anything the teacher has left for me. Part of what I love so much is just simply getting to know my son's peers. The kids he spends his days with, plays outside with, eats his lunches with, and learns so many new things with. As I sit with each child I always take the first few minutes to just talk to them. I ask about their day or comment on their cool hockey shirt or check to see that they are excited for the upcoming vacation or getting a good breakfast in the morning. Most the kids are always doing well and happy and love getting to come out in the hall for some one on one time. But, sometimes there are kids who seem a bit sad or worried or tired or unengaged. I had a lot of that today and I left the classroom today feeling so much sadness for these little lives that are tryng to be who God made them to be without a ton of help from home at times or too much distraction at home to fill these little love tanks up. Three little one's today told me about their parents not being together, 1 dad gone in the Army, and 1 very worried child that he was going to get yelled at when he got home because he lost his coat on the bus, becasue his dad likes to yell at him...he was sure of it and very worried.

One boy especially today brought tears to my eyes as he told me how much he missed his dad when he was with his mom and he really wanted to be with both his mom and dad at the very same time. He has the best smile and the sweetest dameanor and I just wanted to scoop him up and take him to that place where both his parents would be getting along and together and happy. If even for just a day.

I drove home today thinking about this little boy, William, and the other children who had hearts a bit on the heavy side today. Children of God already walking through some of this world's pain. That pain comes in different sizes and shapes for each one, but pain still the same. These are my son's peers, his friends. As they get older they will start to walk through these pains together, like friends naturally do. I felt so honored today to get to be in their world a little bit. To be able to offer a smile, a squeeze of the hand, an extra smiley face, or a very honest "hope to see you again soon, I love getting to listen to you read to me" on their way out the door.

My children will grow and make friends and start doing life with their own community of people. I am so thankful to have the time these days to start out in this world a little bit, hoping for even a window in the teen years :) These kids are important to me because they are important to my son and to God. I know the days will come when I've let my children down and I hope there is another person willing to ask them how their day is and offer them that extra pat on the back when I fail to. Today though, I felt God using me as my son's mom to just be that person for a few of his own people. My prayer is that our family can always be that for the people in our own little lives, whether we are 35 or 6 or 3 or 42. Lord knows we have had some amazing people be that for us.

Sweet little ones.... I pray you may feel both mom and dad's love even when you are apart from one, may you know how much dad misses you and thinks about you even when so far away, and may you find your warm little coat and feel a bit of grace even if you don't.