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How come fish don’t drown? I was trying to find an answer to that question in my head that would satisfy a five year old, as I pulled the fishing pole out of the water. Well, I began, see fish have gills…Mommy, how come birds fly, but we can’t? Uh, okay, skip the fish story. Now we were discussing birds. Well, (why do they fly, and we can’t?) I tossed the snoopy pole back into the water and wiped the slimy “worm juice" off my hands as my son so honestly called it. Okay, let’s see, why do birds fly…Because God gave us airplanes, and so the little birds wanted to fly too… Mommy, why are the clouds white and the sky blue? Okay, good, He’s already forgotten about the birds. (Gases in the atmosphere that’s why the sky looks blue, how do you explain that to a child?) I start to explain in simple terms… that God uses his paintbrush, and one of his favorite colors is blue… and suddenly he has spotted a butterfly, he drops his pole and runs to chase it. I just sit and smile as I watch him run. His blonde hair blowing in the wind and his blue eyes twinkling, his little mind is taking it all in so fast, I can’t even keep up. But I love the questions, and I love to tuck him in at night and then remember the things he has asked, and just smile. Sometimes I asked God the same things, and sometimes I just fall asleep treasuring every moment he is little. These were special times, full of innocence and wonder at the world around him, and one day soon, he wouldn’t think I knew so much anymore, and so I would try to answer him every chance I got. So as the bobber began jerking in the water, he shouted and giggled as we pulled a nice little perch out on his little snoopy pole. Oh Mommy! He jumped up and down and clapped his little dirty hands. You saved the fishy! I just hugged him close and started explaining about how a fish breathes water like we breathe the air…satisfied with my answer, we put the little fishy back in the water and he waved goodbye to all the little fish in the pond as we packed up to go home. My son, he teaches me so much. How to look at life in a new and wondrous light, and how to love so much my heart almost jumps out of my chest with each beat. On the way home with a sleepy little boy sitting next to me in the front seat of his Dad’s old pick-up truck, I have a question for him…Thinking I might teach him one more thing today…Son, do you know why God gives Mommies and Daddies little children to take care of? Expecting him to ask “why" I was surprised when he said, “Yes!" I said you do? Nodding his little head and as serious as he could be, he began: “God gives us little kids to big people so that he can have help babysitting"…with wonderment in my voice, I said “what do you mean, babysitting"? “You know, Mommy, babysitting. You always say I am your little angel, and God has so many angels, he has to let Mommies and Daddies take care of us, so he can rest awhile. He has lots and lots of angels." He leaned into me as we turned off the dirt path and headed toward home…he was sleeping and tears streamed down my face. I said a little thank you to God in a quite whisper Thank you for letting me “baby-sit" one of your little angels. Wow, the things I learn form this little guy… I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. How lucky I am to be chosen to care of one of God’s own angels… What a nice day out for just Mommy and one very special little angel.
Shelly Lynn Rodebush
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