Children at Play

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I was praying a couple nights ago and my thoughts turned to a wonderful spring day that we had a few days prior. I had the front door open and Madalyn was kind of doing her thing and I was doing mine when I heard the voices of several children at my front door. This struck me as being very odd because we don’t have children in the neighborhood. I walk out into the other room and Madalyn is standing at the door with 2 other kids, right around her age, talking. As I proceed to see what is going on they all head off to her room to play, so now I am freaking a bit thinking there are strange kids in my house and what am I supposed to do. So I dart outside looking for a parent and there is their mom sitting across the street visiting with my neighbor. She gives me a wave and a smile and I reciprocate. However, things are still a bit awkward so I go in and drive the kids out.

Like I said it was a beautiful spring day and they should be playing outside anyhow. Once outside I visit for a second with their mom and head off to my corner to watch the kids play. I was so impressed and amazed that how easily that was for them. It was like; “hey look there is another child lets go play with her.” They were playing, laughing, and having a good time together. It really touched my heart, I wish it was that easy for me to make new friends. I see the same thing when we go to the park, kids like to play together, it just seems so natural for them.

So what happens? Why is it by the time kids get out of grade school are they so different, so hurtful, and judgmental? Is it TV, society, parenting mistakes, the fallen nature of man, WHAT? As we get older we play a different game we learn to play games that hurt other people, games that revolve around rejection and deception and for many we never stop acting out these types of behaviors. Watching Madalyn interact with other children really touches my heart but at the same time I fear what the future holds because of the pain she will have to face and endure.

3 comments:

Amy said...

We should always try to find our "child like hearts". For a christian, I think it is the best quality to possess.
Children are a perfect example of how we should strive to be!

Jason said...

Amy, I can't agree with you more!

Cathi said...

It is very sweet how children are so drawn to each other...it is a lesson for us and a reminder that we need relationships from the time we are young.