kids

I don't have kids. Those of you who follow me might have guessed that already, by how regularly I post about my cat. :-) But twice in the last 24 hours kids have made me feel pretty awesome.

Last night we saw our friends to the airport—for the second time. They have two small kids, 2 years and under, and so we just tried to be extra hands and eyes and brains, when possible. It was late by the time we all left for the airport, and the kids had been sleeping. We carried bags down and packed them into the vehicle they were taking.

The kids were the last "items" to be loaded into the vehicle, with their parents. When the two-year-old saw me, his groggy head came up off of his mom's shoulder and he called out my name, with a cheerful "Hi!" He repeated his greeting enthusiastically two more times, twisting the "r" in my name into an endearing "w".

What does it mean to have a two-year-old embrace you so completely? To be delighted to see you? I tell you, it warmed my heart. But I must admit, it's an honor of which I feel completely unworthy.

Then this morning I got a note from my old roommate. She has stepped into an instant family, becoming step-mom to three little ones a few months ago. But I can tell she's doing a great job, like I knew she would.

She wrote that the kids are praying for God to take away the spot of cancer on my chin. And they have never even met me. First of all, I do not deserve this!

Second of all, why am I not praying that way? I have been asking God to give the doctors wisdom; to help us as we make the appointments and travel arrangements; to help them get it all when they cut; to please let this be an isolated incident, and not become a recurring problem that I'm going to deal with the rest of my life.

But did it occur to me to ask, "God, just take it away now, won't You?" No, it did not.

Have I lost the childlike faith that believes in actual miracles? Maybe.

I do know my life is a bit richer and fuller today because of other people's kids. And it has taken me rather by surprise. What a blessing!

[Side note: we will travel to a neighboring country with more modern medical care for the surgery. I have put my name in for an appointment by e-mail. If they can take me on the date we requested, it looks like I'll be having the procedure done in about two weeks.]

[Unless, of course, the spot just disappears before then!]