Tuesday, June 07, 2022
A little big story
On Sunday, I went to church at First Covenant here in Minneapolis. It was a small group; this church has been through a lot. We sang hymns and we greeted one another. There was a sermon by a member's mom. And halfway through, I saw something remarkable.
Kids in a church like that have a lot of freedom; they are free-range, free will Christians. And as happens sometimes, a very small child, a little boy of 2 or 3, made a break for it. He toddled in front of the congregation then off towards a door to the right leading out of the sanctuary. He seemed determined to make his escape. I expected a mom or dad to appear, but no one did. Instead, one of our elders, Ruthie Mattox, spotted him and headed towards the door he was moving towards.
I watched closely, expecting her to either block the door or scoop him up before he could make his way out to the hallway, parking lot or beyond. But she didn't do that.
Instead, she waved at him until he looked at her. Then she went to a shelf and got some Play-doh and sat down at a little table. She calmly got the Play-doh out of the container. He was looking at her, transfixed. Then he ran over, sat down, and they played. Not just for a few minutes, but for the rest of the service.
There is a lot to ponder there. What Ruthie Mattox did was so unexpected-- she did not control the little boy, but made him want something else more, something better. And then she stayed and kept the promise she had made.
I need to be more like that.
Comments:
<< Home
Wonderful, instructive story Mark. Thanks for sharing. By the same token, the same behavior in little boys is often "medicalized" with the intent of regulating natural behavior with medication. ... just because little boys are often harder to manage, given their natural inclinations to get up and move around. By the same token, my wife gets frustrated with me when I wander about stores ... I tell her I am engaged in in my primal need for exploration, recognizance, and discovery … kind of a Lewis and Clark urge. Unfortunately, she does not buy it. Maybe Play-Doh is in order!
Post a Comment
<< Home
