Tray Time

It's a sunny, freezing Sunday morning.  I'm home in robe, badly needing a shower, but content to lounge around with coffee and assorted books and notebooks for now.  Yesterday morning Grayson came to tell me something, and when I noticed a creepy rash on his neck, I whisked him to urgent care to have it looked at.  Diagnosis: impetigo.  Super contagious, very nasty.  Since he was banned from being with other children for a few days, my other two went to church with Daddy last night, and he and I had a date.

I borrowed an idea of Sally Clarkson's, to have a one-on-one tea time, that I read about in her newest edition of "Educating the Wholehearted Child," my hands-down favorite book on home education.  Our bedroom has a sitting area with an ottoman, and on it I placed an old tole tray, two mugs (his of cocoa, mine of tea), a lit candle, and a small plaque that says "You are My Sunshine."  I brought in "The Child's Story Bible," and turned on Celtic Psalms softly in the background.  His little face completely lit up when I led him into the room!

We talked for a little bit, then I asked him what story he'd like for me to read.  He chose one about Jeremiah, which was perfect for our time--the Bible says God chose Jeremiah before he was even born to be His prophet, and as a very young man, Jeremiah's mouth was touched by God to have His words in it.  It was a great opportunity to talk about Jeremiah being called "great and important," and that it doesn't mean he was wealthy or famous or powerful--our culture's idea of great and important--but that God called him that because he spoke God's words.  And Gray and I talked about how we can speak God's words too, because we have the Bible.  (Ironically, this week's Greek root words was logos, which means "word," and is what Jesus is called in the original language.  I love it when God lines things up like that!)  We pondered how God might use him as he grows up, to make a difference for the kingdom, according to his interests and skills.  He's so creative and out-of-the-box, and I can't wait to see how God uses that in the coming years!

It was a really sweet time.  Gray felt special and soaked up all my attention, and it helped soothe the sting of having to stay home from church the entire weekend.  It gave me some alone time with my middle child, and I loved hearing his little heart just open up!  I think that establishing "tray time" with each of my children in the coming days and years is going to be a wonderful opportunity to be able to pour into their hearts, and also to have them open up to me some of their deepest thoughts and needs.  What a privilege, mothering is!