Day 6: Today I saw God in a 7 year old boy

Some people experience God most strongly in nature. Others in ancient cathedrals.  In music,  in writing,  in the ocean or the sky.  Like love languages, I think we all have faith languages, the modalities where we are most sensitive to perceive the presence of God. 

As I look back over my life to this point,  I think my faith language might be story. I can most easily experience where God has been by reflecting on my own life story and on the stories of others.  I see the fingerprints of faith in narratives as friends vent about things they've been going through over the past few months or in birth stories,  death stories, faith stories even in books and movies.  

Today I saw God unfurling in the heart of my middle boy,  Philip. To explain,  we have to do an abbreviated life history of Philip.  As a baby,  he was happy, easy.  I was grateful for that.  But I learned that it was a double edge sword.  He was so content with his inner world that he didn't really have a need for the other world. He didn't learn to talk or pay attention to things outside.  Perfectly content to be in his own little bubble. With lots of work and therapy,  Philip learned how to engage with the world - to speak,  to play.  I cried with joy at his first tantrum.  But,  like that,  it was time for kindergarten and I was terrified.

I contacted the teacher before school started and asked if we could tour the class and meet each other before starting on the first day.  We showed up and the first thing I saw was a superhero on her door. Philip loved all things superhero at the time and he fell in love with the class.  The teacher couldn't have been a better fit.  It was a moment I could feel God's hand in Philip's life (one of so many). Philip stated kindergarten in 2019, which meant the pandemic started that spring and I did a blend of homeschool and distance school during his 1st grade year to try to keep all his educational support services in place.  

Philip did great in homeschool but not great in traditional school and so as we rounded the year to start 2021, I prayerfully considered if Philip should go back to school and if so,  where. His older brothers were returning the the Christian school they had been attending. Due to his need for a little extra support, Philip had been unable to join them.  But,  the more I prayed on it,  the more I wanted to try giving Philip the opportunity to explore faith as part of the school day - memorizing versus at a Lutheran School when I was growing up has provided great comfort though the years- though I'll never admit it to my strict 5th grade Teacher. I also saw Eddie and Andrew growing in faith in response to attending the school and so I had hoped all of my boys could attend, at least for a little bit to help add those building blocks to their lives. 

Small miracles happen every day. I'll spare the details but Philip was accepted to the school and landed in the exact second grade class I had hoped for him.  His teacher had been Andrew's teacher during the lock down so I had gotten to know her style and personality much better than I would have otherwise and I had this 6th sense that Philip would do well in her classroom.

He didn't just do well.  He absolutely is thriving.  I almost cry when I picture how far he's come.  How easy school is. How much he enjoys it. How much he loves and respects his teacher.  

Tuesday night I was getting the kids ready for bed. Philip was rummaging though his drawers.  

"What are you doing?"

"Getting my uniform on."

"But it's time for bed. "

"I have big responsibilities in the morning,  I can't be late. "

All week he had been singing hymns and reciting verses for Ash Wednesday chapel.  Turns out,  his class was leading worship and he felt so honored not only that they were leading chapel,  but that it was ash Wednesday... important chapel.  Big responsibilities.  Can't be late. 

The next morning at chapel, his little voice rang out louder, more vibrant than his classmates.  He knew his part in and out.  He sang the songs with gusto. Parents smiled at me.  He was that kid. 

Today,  we went to church in the morning and went to grandma's house.  There is a church service at the kids school in the evening that we often go to instead of morning church since it follows a similar format to their midweek chapel service that they do at school.  But today,  since we had gone in the morning I didn't expect to go.  I light heartedly asked if anyone wanted to go to night church as we drive home from grandma's.  

"I DO!" Philip's small voice exclaimed from the back seat. 

I left other kids at home and went with Philip and Eddie.  We sat in the front row and Philip belted out every word of every song and did all the hand movements. I felt a little sheepish as you could hear his young voice over the rest of the congregation as if he were mic'ed. He had answers for every question the pastor asked. His eyes twinkled.  I could see faith taking root in Philip's life right before me. I could see God right there reaching out a hand to Philip. 

Sometimes we hear God in a whisper or a majestic waterfall.  But for me,  today,  God was missing his front teeth singing off key in the front row of church.  God was with the second grade Teacher who was sitting a few rows back who comes to every service and pours her life into the important work of teaching these precious small people. 

I turned around and scanned the congregation behind me. God was with every one of them. Every story bears the fingerprints of the divine. We just have to slow down a moment to see it.