Yesterday I led the small group of children who learn better outside of the actual worship service. They are mostly younger kids under the age of six, but sometimes older children like to show up and ‘help’. We don’t discourage them, but we do confer with their parents beforehand.
I had a great deal of fun. It came to me that I could help them relax and entertain them a bit if tried to guess their names. This amused me too. I got all but one right!
Anyway, I got to thinking about the wonderful times I’d had years ago when my Grandma Bonnie lived with us. She spanked me often enough, it’s true, but I still cherish the times relaxing in bed when she would tell me stories about her sisters (she had four).
I talked about this and then invited the children to share their own family stories. They seemed to enjoy this very much.
One little girl, Ava, was four, and new to the group. She watched us in silence until there was a break in the activity. Then she began to talk and didn’t stop! I didn’t say anything, but gave her my visual attention, amazed at what was happening. I think she was mainly exercising her language skills, since I couldn’t discern a story in what she said. She was focused on some idea as she talked. I got the impression I was witnessing something special. She wanted to be like the others, and she had lots to say…at four!
This was a special time for me as well as for Ava. I had never thought I could relate so easily to younger children.