It’s amazing isn’t it how a chance meeting can change
everything.
It was the end of a long week, the weather had been rather frustrating, changing every two minutes, I’d had another busy day and was about to brave the bus with what was shaping up to be a killer migraine. Basically, let’s face it I was feeling rather miserable and had begun to feel quite sorry for myself.
As I sat there listening to their chatter and their giggles as they told me story after story – usually all three voices at once, I began to realise why I loved it so much. They had spent the day at school, and it had probably been a Friday like most others, with lessons and assemblies, but you see, this day was different. This day they had been able to wear their home clothes. Such a simple thing. One thing that had changed their whole day.
I wanted to be able to look at that one thing, the one simple thing that had made my day special and see it for what it was, not all the other stuff that can so easily crowd in. We can become so focused on getting through the day, we miss the joy, we miss the special things. Things like a young person coming and saying “these are things I would like you to pray about”, someone popping into the office because they thought you would be lonely as others are away, someone sending a text just to say hi, just because they thought of it.
As I got off the bus, I spoke to the mum congratulating her on 3 of the loveliest children I had met – and the 4th who I was sure would turn out just the same way.
Somewhere along the line we stop looking for joy, and begin to just ‘survive’, to just get through the day, yes the children will wear us out, but the world through their eyes is a much more exciting place to live in.
So as I stepped down on to the pavement, and turned ready to cross the road, the children had run to the side of the bus to bang on the windows and wave goodbye to their new friend, I made a decision to seek the joy in the day. This sounds simplistic, and maybe it is. I know how hard some days can be and joy seems to be the last thing to be seen. But there is good in every day, because God is in every day, and He is good.
I waved goodbye to the children and prayed that they would never lose their love of life, and their joy.
Me personally, even though the rain had begun to fall, my headache hadn’t disappeared, and I had a long train ride ahead of me, I began to thank God for encounters with life changing people, people who inspire me with joy.
Even if – or maybe, especially, when those people are aged 6.
It was the end of a long week, the weather had been rather frustrating, changing every two minutes, I’d had another busy day and was about to brave the bus with what was shaping up to be a killer migraine. Basically, let’s face it I was feeling rather miserable and had begun to feel quite sorry for myself.
I’d made it to the bus with about 1 minute to spare and
stood in the cold with my bags, which due to my lack of being able to pack
sensibly meant that they were far too heavy. Needless to say when I did get on
the bus I was quite happy to sit down and just be quiet.
This lasted for about 3 minutes until we made it to the next bus stop. A family of 4 children with their mum and dad made it on board and yes, I’m going to be honest, my heart sank. There goes my peace and quiet.
Well the three oldest children climb into seats near me and one on the seat right next to me. He lasts about 3 seconds before he tugs on my sleeve and asks me if I know what 1000+1000 equals... slightly caught off guard by his questions I mumble no, no sooner have I finished the word than he declares at the top of his voice that it is 2000 – and did I know what 2000+2000 is?
As this line of questioning proceeded, I would like to clarify I got the right mix of not answering some so that he could show off his doubling skills and answering some so that I didn’t appear as some kind of innumerate dunce... before I knew it all three of the older children were asking me maths questions, asking me about football, telling me about wobbly teeth, talking to me about how many fillings they had as well as telling me what their best friends had done and said at school that day.
My bus journey lasted only about 10 minutes, but I have to declare that those three children changed my world a little bit. Their openness comes only from children who feel safe with who they are as well as knowing mum and dad are there to keep them safe if need be. They were so full of childlike joy that thankfully, hadn’t been squashed out just yet, and I pray that it never will.
This lasted for about 3 minutes until we made it to the next bus stop. A family of 4 children with their mum and dad made it on board and yes, I’m going to be honest, my heart sank. There goes my peace and quiet.
Well the three oldest children climb into seats near me and one on the seat right next to me. He lasts about 3 seconds before he tugs on my sleeve and asks me if I know what 1000+1000 equals... slightly caught off guard by his questions I mumble no, no sooner have I finished the word than he declares at the top of his voice that it is 2000 – and did I know what 2000+2000 is?
As this line of questioning proceeded, I would like to clarify I got the right mix of not answering some so that he could show off his doubling skills and answering some so that I didn’t appear as some kind of innumerate dunce... before I knew it all three of the older children were asking me maths questions, asking me about football, telling me about wobbly teeth, talking to me about how many fillings they had as well as telling me what their best friends had done and said at school that day.
My bus journey lasted only about 10 minutes, but I have to declare that those three children changed my world a little bit. Their openness comes only from children who feel safe with who they are as well as knowing mum and dad are there to keep them safe if need be. They were so full of childlike joy that thankfully, hadn’t been squashed out just yet, and I pray that it never will.
As I sat there listening to their chatter and their giggles as they told me story after story – usually all three voices at once, I began to realise why I loved it so much. They had spent the day at school, and it had probably been a Friday like most others, with lessons and assemblies, but you see, this day was different. This day they had been able to wear their home clothes. Such a simple thing. One thing that had changed their whole day.
I wanted to be able to look at that one thing, the one simple thing that had made my day special and see it for what it was, not all the other stuff that can so easily crowd in. We can become so focused on getting through the day, we miss the joy, we miss the special things. Things like a young person coming and saying “these are things I would like you to pray about”, someone popping into the office because they thought you would be lonely as others are away, someone sending a text just to say hi, just because they thought of it.
As I got off the bus, I spoke to the mum congratulating her on 3 of the loveliest children I had met – and the 4th who I was sure would turn out just the same way.
Somewhere along the line we stop looking for joy, and begin to just ‘survive’, to just get through the day, yes the children will wear us out, but the world through their eyes is a much more exciting place to live in.
So as I stepped down on to the pavement, and turned ready to cross the road, the children had run to the side of the bus to bang on the windows and wave goodbye to their new friend, I made a decision to seek the joy in the day. This sounds simplistic, and maybe it is. I know how hard some days can be and joy seems to be the last thing to be seen. But there is good in every day, because God is in every day, and He is good.
I waved goodbye to the children and prayed that they would never lose their love of life, and their joy.
Me personally, even though the rain had begun to fall, my headache hadn’t disappeared, and I had a long train ride ahead of me, I began to thank God for encounters with life changing people, people who inspire me with joy.
Even if – or maybe, especially, when those people are aged 6.
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