the trust walk
I have a little boy in my class and-true story-he's head over heels in love with a little girl.
I intercepted a note that he once tried to slapshot into her desk without her knowing. He missed, but I saw it bounce wildly in and out--a goal, but not a goal--and made him give it to me. She was confused, by the activity around her, by the uproar, by the paper and I think honestly has no idea what happened, even to this day.
I stuck the letter in my back pocket and only opened it out at carpool. A small sheet with one message: "I ❤ you."
I love you. Period. My heart swooned. Sweet, sweet child.
Today, in Religion class, we were talking about trusting God and I needed two volunteers. The beloved raised her hand and I chose her and, by design, (because I am an incurable romantic), I chose this boy. [Who, it must be said, uttered the most fervent and whispered, "yesssssss!" under his breath when I chose him.]
It was a trust walk. She had to walk him, eyes closed, back to his desk. And, friends, he trusted her completely. Her hands lightly on his shoulder. Her quiet directions. It was simply adorbs.
After he sat. After she returned to her desk. We talked as a class. I asked them what might have happened if he didn't trust her.
The kids said he might have gone the wrong way. And I said, "Yes. And don't we sometimes go the wrong way when we don't trust God?"
"What else?"
The kids said he might have hurt himself if he didn't listen to her directions.
I said, "Yes. And don't we sometimes hurt ourselves when we don't trust God's plan? When we don't listen for His words?" Accidentally maybe. Best of intentions. But we noticed that it was good for him to listen to her because she could see the whole journey. He only knew the next step he was going to take.
"What else?"
They said if he didn't trust her he might have just opened his eyes. I said, "Yes. And don't we sometimes trust what we can see more than what God can see?"
Out of the mouths of babes, right?
I have been working on something in my own life lately. Something kind of scary to me. Nothing life threatening, just unsettling. And I'm trying to be very brave. And it's taking me a lot of courage that I sometimes don't have.
But I very much knew with clarity that God had placed me on this path. I started the journey saying the Prayer to St. Micheal in my meditations. It flowed out of me like a talisman. Like a shield.
"St. Micheal, the Archangel, defend us in battle...."
As time meandered, the prayer changed to a prayer from Adoration: Oh Saving Victim
"Our foes press on from every side
Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow."
Summer turned to fall. Sanctuary.
"Lord, prepare me
To be a sanctuary
Pure and holy
Tried and true."
And just last week, it changed again. It became something different again. The same battle, but a new comfort.
"Shephard me, O God
Beyond my wants,
Beyond my fears."
Keep the prayers burning, my friends. I see hope up ahead.💙
I intercepted a note that he once tried to slapshot into her desk without her knowing. He missed, but I saw it bounce wildly in and out--a goal, but not a goal--and made him give it to me. She was confused, by the activity around her, by the uproar, by the paper and I think honestly has no idea what happened, even to this day.
I stuck the letter in my back pocket and only opened it out at carpool. A small sheet with one message: "I ❤ you."
I love you. Period. My heart swooned. Sweet, sweet child.
Today, in Religion class, we were talking about trusting God and I needed two volunteers. The beloved raised her hand and I chose her and, by design, (because I am an incurable romantic), I chose this boy. [Who, it must be said, uttered the most fervent and whispered, "yesssssss!" under his breath when I chose him.]
It was a trust walk. She had to walk him, eyes closed, back to his desk. And, friends, he trusted her completely. Her hands lightly on his shoulder. Her quiet directions. It was simply adorbs.
After he sat. After she returned to her desk. We talked as a class. I asked them what might have happened if he didn't trust her.
The kids said he might have gone the wrong way. And I said, "Yes. And don't we sometimes go the wrong way when we don't trust God?"
"What else?"
The kids said he might have hurt himself if he didn't listen to her directions.
I said, "Yes. And don't we sometimes hurt ourselves when we don't trust God's plan? When we don't listen for His words?" Accidentally maybe. Best of intentions. But we noticed that it was good for him to listen to her because she could see the whole journey. He only knew the next step he was going to take.
"What else?"
They said if he didn't trust her he might have just opened his eyes. I said, "Yes. And don't we sometimes trust what we can see more than what God can see?"
Out of the mouths of babes, right?
I have been working on something in my own life lately. Something kind of scary to me. Nothing life threatening, just unsettling. And I'm trying to be very brave. And it's taking me a lot of courage that I sometimes don't have.
But I very much knew with clarity that God had placed me on this path. I started the journey saying the Prayer to St. Micheal in my meditations. It flowed out of me like a talisman. Like a shield.
"St. Micheal, the Archangel, defend us in battle...."
As time meandered, the prayer changed to a prayer from Adoration: Oh Saving Victim
"Our foes press on from every side
Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow."
Summer turned to fall. Sanctuary.
"Lord, prepare me
To be a sanctuary
Pure and holy
Tried and true."
And just last week, it changed again. It became something different again. The same battle, but a new comfort.
"Shephard me, O God
Beyond my wants,
Beyond my fears."
Keep the prayers burning, my friends. I see hope up ahead.💙