Fall

In all of his 4 years of school experience, my Brody-Man has never been a huge fan of going to school. In his second year of pre-school, it took about 3 months for him to go without telling me "I'm NOT going to school!". That year, on one of those days in early fall when you get a surprise fall-feeling day and my car was not working. We walked Iris to the bus stop and then I sprung the news on him that he didn't have to go to school that day. Sure, I could have found a him a ride. One of the teachers from the school even lived in our neighborhood. But hey, I was going to be home, why not let the little dude have a day off.

He was THRILLED. With the weight of going to school lifted from his heart and shoulders, he skipped all the way home from the bus stop. He noticed the change in the weather and began to plan out his day. He said, first he was going to catch a leaf in the front yard..."since it was fall and that's when the leaves fall, ya know", then he'd come inside and I would build a fire in the fireplace so he could drink hot chocolate by the fire on this crisp fall day. It was early fall, and in Texas to boot. Leaves were not falling off the trees (except for the ones that had died in the hot summer). In my protective mothering way I reminded Brody that fall doesn't just happen overnight. That it is a season. That a leaf may or may not fall from the tree for him to catch. Brody has always been a kid who gets pretty upset when things don't go the way he thinks they should, and I was just trying to help prepare him for the likelihood that he would NOT have the opportunity to catch leaves. He looked at me and said, "Well, then I'll just pray to God that I can catch a leaf." Still in the protective mode (maybe more to protect me having to deal with him when he got so frustrated), I reminded him that sometimes God takes time to answer our prayers, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. He just looked at me and grabbed his jacket and ran outside the front door and stood between the two scrawny trees on our little front yard. He was running around enjoying not being at school. Enjoying the cool day. Suddenly he came bursting in - "See, Mom!" he said, "See! I catched a leaf. I prayed to God and He let me catched a leaf! Can I have my hot chocolate now?"

"See, Mom!" What a reminder. The faith of a child.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18: 1-5)

My son taught me a great lesson that day. He believed. He acted upon that belief. He was joyous about his answered prayer. He immediately shared his joy with someone else. He didn't give me a hard time for doubting. He didn't judge my unbelief. I'm not saying that every prayer is answered like that. But maybe Iought to be more expectant in my prayers. More faith-full.

Brody's prayer wasn't the wish-list, can-I-please-have, type of prayer. He was wanting to enjoy the full experience of one of God's created days. That year, his pre-school teacher Mrs. Pete, started every morning with the children saying their own version of Psalm 118:24 and it ended with something like "and we'll be happy today because it is a God-made day!" Brody asked God to help him enjoy His creation that morning and the Great God Almighty was thrilled to send a leaf off of that tree for Brody to catch. Perhaps my prayers ought to focus more on God and His plans and His creation, than me and my plans.

We took his leaf into the kitchen and made two cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows. I want to always remember that day.