There are days when I wish I could peek into the mind of my three-year-old boy, and then other days I’m thankful I don’t posses that ability. He is so full of life, and seems to make the best out of every situation, and when he is not in the mood to make the best of a situation, a sucker always seems to help.
It wasn’t very long ago that my sweet innocent little boy was introduced to “weapons” as he calls them. We were at Frozen, a Disney on Ice production, when the lovely little man with the flashing toys had to go down our isle. If you have ever been to a circus or a show, you know exactly what I’m talking about. This man sells the overpriced annoying toys that all the children MUST have. Well my little boy picked out a flashing sword like prince Haun’s sword from the movie Frozen. He carried that sword in the back of his shirt for months. It went everywhere with us; to Wal-Mart, the grocery store, the mall, and even church when he managed to sneak it in through his shirt (you have to be ready to fight the dragons and bad guys at a moments notice.) One day, as he was playing with his beloved sword, his weapon managed to meet its fate and snap in half. My little guy was devastated, well for about 3 minutes. After recovering from his devastation he then went and picked up a stick from the ground, shoved it in the back of his shirt and went on his merry little way. Although that light-up sword was something he loved dearly and was very attached to, at three years old he knew it was only a thing, and he was able to move on without letting it tear him down.
As an adult, I think we can learn so many different lessons from our children. I know my little boy teaches me something different everyday. On this particular day he taught me to make every moment count. He could have let the fact that one of his prize possessions was ruined get him down, but instead he made the most of what he had and decided to carry on. He chose to stay in the game. We all lose things that matter to us, but if we will keep our mind on the game at hand we can keep playing and enjoying the life God has given us.
Taylor Easttom, Director of Threefold and Children’s Ministry, St. Luke’s Edmond
