Why Jesus so loved children...

Last nights dinner conversation was spent around whether or not Aiden wanted to start catechism classes. When I told him that they were a place where kids his age would learn about God, the Bible, and Jesus' life, his excitement was beyond comparison. And then I got a little glimpse into why Jesus so loved children...

Aiden: "Jesus is a hero. Not like a policeman or fireman, like a real superhero. He's like the best superhero ever! Yeah because Jesus saved EVERYONE from their sins. That is so awesome!  He saved all of us!"

That strong faith. That enthusiasm and truth. That not needing anything more than what you already know.

So loved is he.
So loved are we.

I thank God for moments like these...

It's the end of the day and although I put Aiden to bed over an hour ago - HE'S STILL UP. Not just awake, but coming back and forth into the living room to ask me another question, request another hug (awe), tell me another antic, suggest an alternative to bed time, ask for a toy he knows he can't have, etc., etc., ETC!

The music on his CD player has cycled twice. I have missed my work out. I have grading to do, emails to return, tests to write, dishes to do, laundry to put away, and as I feel I am reaching a point of frustration I needed to be able to work out on my elliptical after my long day, I hear a different tune. To be specific it's a melody:

Who's to say
What's impossible
Well they forgot
This world keeps spinning
And with each new day
I can feel a change in everything
And as the surface breaks reflections fade
But in some ways they remain the same
And as my mind begins to spread its wings
There's no stopping curiosity

                                   -Jack Johnson, Upside Down

Aiden has changed the CD he is listening to and it's not just that Jack Johnson's Curious George soundtrack is actually awesome (and it really is), it's that those songs send me back to a moment:

 I'm sitting with rain patting on a window (a typical Seattle fall evening) with the sweetest little baby in my arms. I'm on a rocking chair my parents wanted me to have as a mother. I'm gently caressing the top of Aiden's head and ever-so-softly singing along. I know the words, they are the same words I hold and rock him to every night. And as these words fall into the sounds of my now six year olds room I am not frustrated. I am no longer concerned about the things I HAVE to do. I sit beside him on his bed and gently caress the top of his head. I listen to him sing along with me so softly until the yawns become more frequent, until it is only ol' Jack and me once again holding that lullaby for Aiden. It is here that I thank God for moments like these. For moments that take me back, for moments that make me realize what matters, and for moments like these that I know have become less frequent as he gets older. I am thankful.