The Park

I took the boys to the park today. We learned about Peter jumping out of the boat and swimming to Jesus yesterday during our Bible time and I wanted to follow up today with a fun activity to help them remember the story. I told Jack I wanted him to jump in the park to remember how Peter “jumped ship for Jesus”. What I meant was that as he was playing, I wanted him to find a couple steps or higher places to jump from…maybe 4 or 5 jumps. I found out from Matt later that Jack told him how much he hated this activity because he thought I wanted him to jump all over the park which was obviously not fun because he was so busy jumping he couldn’t get all his playing in. Funny, I saw a whole lot of playing and no jumping. (Oh well…it was a good idea in my head).

It was what happened when we were getting ready to leave that overtook me for the day. There was a little girl in the park by herself. I noticed that her mother was in the car with two of her friends and had sent the girl onto the park to play while she stayed in the car. It was getting cold and I needed to get my teething two year old and 2 month old baby home for some lunch and a nap. As we were leaving, I looked at the little girl and said BYE. I got in our car which was right next to her mother’s car and watched as they talked and picked out CDs to listen to. I drove away with the heaviest heart and all afternoon I could not get this little girl’s sad face out of my mind. How could her mother not be on the playground playing with her? When Matt got home and asked me what was the matter, I started crying about how I should have stayed and played with her. I had failed at showing her Christ’s love and staying to play with her. Matt, in true fashion, calmed me down as I talked about rescuing all the children in foster care. We have talked about adopting but believe if that is God's calling it is in our future, not our present. He encouraged me to pray for the beautiful little girl’s heart and for her mother’s heart and to take the desperation I was feeling and give it to my own children right now. I truly believe that everything happens perfectly in God’s timing and I haven’t pieced together what that was about but I do know that I will be praying for her. ..and hoping that I can rescue one or two little children one day. As for now, I am following the words of my husband and pouring that love into my children.

Tonight it was given to the little man who “dressed up special” to take me to Baskin Robbins on a date.