NOTE: I'm planning on adding more to this but decided to go ahead an post what I've written so far.
She Called Me Kiki:
Life Lessons From a Child
Introduction
This past week while helping with the Kids Day Camp at my church, there were two little girls who sort of adopted me, and I therefore adopted responsibility for them. They’re very sweet girls, and I loved every minute spent with them, even when I had to get on to them. I love working with kids and teaching them God’s Word, showing them His love. But, they teach me a lot as well. I’ve written some funny things that these girls, Sissy and Boo, said this past week, along with things other kids have said or other experiences I’ve had. A lot of it is very funny, some is sweet and heart-warming, but almost all of it has a deeper meaning to me, or taught me something. One day one of the girls decided she’d call me Kiki, hence the title.
Understanding
Five-year-old Boo was insistent that she could “do it herself” when she was told, along with all the other kids, to write down a question about God or the Bible on her slip of paper. Finally she handed me her paper, proudly saying she was done. I took the paper and looked at it. There were a few large letters on the paper, but they didn’t spell anything.
“What does it say, Boo?” I asked. “What is your question?”
Looking at me like I was out of my mind, she replied, “I don’t know, I can’t read!”
Trying to hold back my laughter I assured her it was fine. How funny for a kid to write something down and then say they can’t read what they themselves had written. Yet, there must have been a reason she chose those specific letters.
Sometimes I, too, do things I don’t understand. Have you ever had those times that you do something and then think “That was stupid, why did I do that,” or wonder what on earth possessed you to it? Maybe it was crazy, mean, or just plain weird.
There are also times that I know God is working in my life, but I just don’t understand what He’s doing. For example, at youth camp last month, I had a piece of dust get under my contact and scratch my eye, and though it wasn’t seriously injured, it hurt pretty badly at times and I wore a patch over it for most of the week. It kept me from being able to participate at the ropes course or the rec games. There was a service that I was unable to enjoy much because I was in pain. I was very tempted to be mad about it, to declare it was ruining my week and wasn’t fair. The day after we got back, my eye felt a lot better and I was able to put my contact back in and it was fine. I knew, and I know, that there was a reason. I still don’t know and may never know what that reason is, but God does. Perhaps I would have injured myself more seriously had I participated in ropes course or rec, who knows. There are so many times we don’t understand why God does certain things or allows certain things to happen. He doesn’t ask us to understand. He just asks us to submit.
Trust
Have you ever realized how trusting kids are? They pretty much believe anything you say, and do anything you ask them to. This can be a bad thing, under the wrong influences, but it’s also a crucial time of teaching and growing for them.
Once this past week my sister had been holding a two-year-old during the lesson and she was getting fidgety. I simply motioned for her to come to me so I could take her to the nursery to play until the lesson was over, and she looked at me with her big eyes and without hesitation or protest, she walked right over and took my hand, allowing me to lead her wherever I would.
What if we trusted God that much? What if, when He beckoned for us to come to Him, we simply walked right over, put our hand in His, and allowed Him to lead us wherever He wanted?
We took the kids to a water park one day. Boo isn’t too great of a swimmer, so I was helping her in the kiddy pool. She would run up the ladder and get to the top of the slide. “Catch me, Kiki!” she’d call before sliding down, simply trusting that I would be there to catch her. Then she would say “Help me swim” and I would hold her up so she could “peddle” her arms and legs and “swim”. She trusted that I wouldn’t let her go. She had no reason to doubt because I’d never let her fall before.
Why don’t we usually trust God that completely? Do we trust Him enough to dive in, not even stopping to doubt whether or not He will be there to catch us and hold us? He will. He’s just waiting for us to jump. We know He will catch us... why do we hesitate? He has never let us down and He never will. If Boo had hesitated to let me catch her or hold her, if she had tried to do it on her own, she would have suffered much more. The same is with us. If we try to go through life on our own, if we don’t ask God to help us and trust that He will, we’ll suffer a lot more.
"I’ll never leave you”
A very simple statement made by Boo at the water park really touched my heart. She had wanted to go on the big waterslide, but once we got up there she changed her mind. She started with the smallest, slowest one and loved it, so she decided to try the next one, which was a little bit faster. Grinning from ear to ear as she got off of that one, she decided she’d try the big slide this time.
“Can you go with me?” she asked.
“No, sweetie, I can’t go with you, but I’ll go first and wait for you at the bottom, okay?” I replied.
“Okay... I won’t be alone. Jesus will be with
Woah. Coming from a five-year-old in the middle of an activity, I was just amazed. It wasn’t Bible story time. I hadn’t asked any questions or said anything to get her to say it. She just said it.
“That’s right, Boo. You’re so smart, and I’m very glad you know that,” I said.
“Sissy told
“Well, Sissy’s right,” I smiled.
I’d been trying all week to bring what we’d learned in the lesson into everyday life application.
“What’s our attitude supposed to be like?” I’d ask, when they pouted or fussed, and they’d always answer soberly,
“Christ Jesus’”.
When Sissy and Boo would argue, I’d tell them Jesus wouldn’t like that.
In turn, when Boo took her seatbelt off too early and I got on to her, telling her she shouldn’t have taken it off yet, and Boo said seriously “I didn’t know. I’m dumb,” breaking my heart, and Sissy defended her saying,
“No you’re not! You know things I don’t know,” and went on to remind her little sister of things that she had told her that she didn’t remember or didn’t know, I was so happy and said,
“See, Sissy, now you’re being nice to Boo. I like that, and so does Jesus.”
I wanted her to see that I didn’t just use that when she was in trouble, but that I would use it when she did something good, as well. I wanted to remind her that Jesus sees everything we do, the good and the bad.
He does see and know everything we do. He is always with us.
Love
“You’re my bestest friend ever,” seven-year-old Sissy said, looking up into my face and squeezing my arm. “And we’ll always be best friends! Even when we’re old ladies! Even when I’m your age! You’re my BFF. That means ‘best friend forever’. I love you!”
I smiled and put my arm around her.
“I love you too, Sissy,” I said, unable to express with words what I felt in my heart.
The next day, at the water park, Boo said she wanted me to slide first, because “if she went first, she would drown, but if I went first, I wouldn’t drown”.
“I don’t want you to drown,” she said, running ahead of me. “Because you’re special. You’re the specialest person I ever met!” she declared, slipping her chubby little hand into my hand and walking up the stairs with me.
All week they wanted to hold my hand, hug me, put my arm around them, play with my hair, sit by me, take a piggy-back ride, etc.
That kind of love, that unashamed, open, adoring affection that children give us is so sweet. It just leaves me in awe of the tenderness of these children. They’ve only known me four days. All it took was a little kindness to earn their love and trust.
And yet, as sweet and dear as that is, God’s love is so much more. That is just a tiny glimpse of His love for us. He loved us enough to pay the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.
Obedience and Respect
“Faster!” Boo yelled from above. Immediately my hand turned the wheel more rapidly.
“Stop!” the little blonde demanded, and I came to a sudden halt.
“Now, go!” and I was off again, spinning and spinning the plastic wheel on the play mechanisms at the park. Soon a little freckled face peeked out at me, now under the equipment.
“Stay right there!” she commanded.
This went on and on until she finally tired of it and moved on to something else. This time it was those metal boxes that stick out of the ground on a pole that you’re supposed to be able to talk and listen through... it’s never worked for me.
“Sit right here,” she said. “And don’t move!”
I sat obediently on the dirty plastic bench and waited as she ran to the other box and proceeded to scream into it, then she would run back.
“I said, ‘talk to me!’,” she said accusingly.
“Oh, okay,” I quickly obliged and yelled into the box. Soon I would hear her little footsteps come padding back.
“I heard you!” she’d yell excitedly.
A friend came over and was watching us.
“Why do you do everything she says?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Why not? She’s enjoying it, and I’ve nothing better to do,” I replied.
At one point Boo got a little too excited, and turned to me and yelled for me to go to the other box. Deciding she needed to settle down a little and not talk to me like that, I gently but firmly said,
“Hey Boo, look at me. Don’t yell at me, okay?”
Immediately her countenance changed. She dropped her voice and calmly replied, “Okay. Will you go over there, please?”
Wow. Not what I expected. I was pleasantly surprised and amazed. Immediate obedience. Why? She respected me, and wanted to please me. And because she obeyed the first time, I didn’t have to get on to her.
Do we respect and love God enough to want to obey Him and please Him? He deserves it much more than I do! If we would obey God the first time, out of obedience, not obligation, He will be pleased and we will find that it pays off, that we even like, to obey Him.
Comments
Jul. 15, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by drgnfly1010
What an encouraging and true and beautiful entry! Thank you for writing it.
~Bethany
Jul. 31, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Meggy T
I'm glad you got to hang with and learn from kids!!!
Nov. 14, 2008 - WOW
Posted by hankventuradude
hey, i am a writer too and i would like to comment on how well written your story was. you have inspired me to post a new story in my blog. in him+