Monday @ Montpelier: July 1

Time to Re-define

This week, I’ve been away from home doing summer-y things with family. My mom and I worked on atrium materials on Monday from her home, and I finished some material packets and posters that I had been putting off. Even as I traced and laminated drawings of some of our Kingdom parables, I felt doubt about the work: How could a few simple images increase spiritual depth in our children?

At the same time, I have found myself challenged through my re-reading of Joyful Journey about how essential it is to allow the kids to respond to their work in the atrium via art. We’ve struggled with the art station. With the kids’ tendency to fixate just on art in the atrium (producing any number of dragons, pokémon, rainbows, and unicorns), we have sought to redirect them to other works while limiting their access to art materials. The answer seems to be re-defining art rather than removing it, and that takes a lot more work on our part (the volunteers and parents).

I have to say that I’m not looking forward to it. However, the founders of the CGS method observed that it was through art that the kids most often synthesized what they were learning, and the thought of limiting that concerns me. The greatest challenge is going to be patience and trust in the process as the kids learn a new way to use art.

I can guarantee you neither the process nor the product is going to look like what I expect and I’m going to have to struggle with the letting go of my expectations before I’ll be able to see the power of the Holy Spirit at work through the children. In the end, it just has to be that way, because that is my work in and through the atrium. That is my spiritual formation, for better or worse.

Seeing Differently

I found myself in this pattern of fight-surrender-grow a lot this week. I submitted myself to a great deal of activity and work that I wouldn’t have chosen were it not for my kids, and I can tell you I am simultaneously exhausted and edified here at week’s end.

Just one example is two nights of camping with my kids in 96 degree weather, concluded by a hurried morning of breaking down camp in a surprise rain shower.

Would I have done this for myself? Absolutely not.

Could I make an arm-length list of the things that were frustrating, uncomfortable, un-ideal, discouraging, infuriating? Of course!

But we saw stars.

We ate wild blackberries.

We listened to crickets.

We made torches out of sticks in the campfire.

We caught fireflies.

We slept side-by-side.

We had s’mores (more than once!).

The same experience with different eyes.

I tend to focus on kids’ tendency to whine, complain, express dissatisfaction, require cajoling and reminding, fixate on hard feelings, and choose consequences over the wisdom of their parents.

But amazingly, in some of the hardest of situations, they can amplify the tiniest bit of beauty so that it fills their vision and permeates the world around them. They have these childlike goggles that only fit them, and if we are going to see what they see, we have to be near them, listen to them, let them show us what they are witnessing. This requires a lot of stillness, quiet, humility, and trust on the part of the adult. But boy can the results be stunning.

Here we are again

It always comes back to the Imago Dei, doesn’t it? God’s image in us, whatever gender expression, whatever age or generation, whatever ethnicity or upbringing, whatever political leaning, whatever religious affiliation.

God’s image was given to all of us (before we loved Him, He loved us) and exists in us whether we choose Him or not. I confess to not liking this theology. I want to find a reason to hate those who are hateful, to elevate my own value by putting down the value in others. I have my particular inventory of the un-lovable that I want to blame for the problems of the world or the hinderances in my life. I have gathered my own index of opinions, views, perspectives, and beliefs that have surely disqualified someone from being valued.

God knew that we would make enemies of one another, so he explicitly told us to love them (Luke 6: 27-28). He created us to be siblings and not adversaries, but graciously prepared for the event in which we would call each other hateful names, making sure we knew his prescription was love for even those folks.

I am finding that loving and paying attention to kids is growing my capacity to love others. If we look at people as groups to be categorized, they are easier to disparage. For that group to break into persons, stories, we have to be near them, listen to them, let them show us what they are witnessing.

Yep, this requires a lot of stillness, quiet, humility, and trust. But boy can the results be stunning.