Out of the mouths of babes.....

I have had the priviledge of spending several weeks helping Rebecca with her boys (Christian and Logan), while she has prepared for their move to Italy. When you spend quality time with your grandchildren you often have the opportunity to hear the most wonderful "words". Following are four such occasions that I don't want to forget.

1.One morning I took Christian, who is 3 and Logan, who is 1 1/2, to an indoor play area. Christian wanted to ride on a particular toy which was being occupied by a little girl. I explained he would have to wait his turn so he quietly sat on a chair then looked up at me with a serious expression and said: "This is patience, Nani." (Wow-if only more adults would learn that concept!)

2. On another morning's outing I took the boys to a mall that featured a play area with climbing toys. It was already populated by a large group of pre-school children. Christian wanted to play with the kids so started following a little girl around. She quickly turned around and quite abruply yelled "NO" in his face. He quietly walked over to me, with his big blue-green eyes filling with tears, and said: "I am going to look for someone nice to play with because I am a nice boy!" (Of course, I agreed!)

3. Almost every night I lay in bed for a few minutes with Christian and tell him Bible stories and we sing songs together. One night I was singing the song, "Jesus Loves the Little Children". The second verse says that Jesus died for all the children. While I was singing it Christian interrupted me to state that "Jesus died on the cross". The third verse says that Jesus lives for all the children. He interrupted me again to state that "Jesus went to heaven and when I die I'm going to go to heaven to be with him". Then he asked, "Right? Nani" (Seminary theology from a three year old!)

4. The last day in Columbus Rebecca, Steve, the boys and myself were staying at a hotel in order to clean the house and because all of their belongings had been packed, shipped, and on their way to Italy. I was babysitting the boys for a time so Rebecca and Steve could complete the house details. The boys and I had just run the halls, rode on luggage carts, climbed stairs, and jumped on beds for an hour. I said it was time for a snack break. We sat on the floor with paper towels as plates and three baby carrots each to eat. As I began munching on my first carrot, Logan looked up at me, put his two little hands together and said (at 18 months old) "Amen" (A lesson well taught-thank God for everything at all times-even three little baby carrots!)