When he doesn't fall asleep mid-story, Spencer says prayers with me at bedtime. The content has evolved over time but for the last month or so, his usual answer when I ask what he wants to pray about is thus:
"Miss Tiffany, the good time we had today...and that's all I want to pray about tonight."
(Tiffany is a dear friend from church who has also babysat for us a bit. He hasn't seen her much lately, just the occasional greeting, because she recently got married. But he never fails to remember her in his prayers. Well, when he says them, I mean.)
I don't quite know why it squeezes my heart as it does when he says this; I am not so naive as to think that he truly understands what it means to pray so faithfully for someone, nor even that he really has a 'good time' every day. But...he is such.a.sweet.kid. And the world...the world is such a hard, hard place. The urge to protect him from any pain, any disappointment, any betrayal, is just overwhelming. But of course I can't. And probably shouldn't, even if it were possible. Because, God help us, it seems to be the suffering that shapes our character as humans in a fallen creation. Yes, pain can make us twisted and bitter; but if we are wise and fortunate, it molds us into people of compassion and generosity. I cannot think of a single story, be it myth or legend or novel or fable, in which comfort and pleasure are said to produce an admirable person.
I'm thinking of a quote by G.K. Chesterton as well:
"Meaninglessness comes not from being weary of pain, but from being weary of pleasure."
Maybe I'm stretching for the point here. All I really want to say is:
- I think my kid is uber-cool;
- I hope that the cold, cruel world does not shatter his tender heart;
- I pray that God will give me wisdom to teach him what he needs to know.
The pic is from our visit to the pumpkin patch last month; both kids really enjoyed playing in the cotton bin. There are more cool photos from that day which I plan to post soon.
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