Charlie’s joy is contagious. He and his dad spent at least an hour looking for seashells yesterday. Amongst other things, they found numerous sand dollar pieces. Charlie was thrilled. Until yesterday, according to Charlie, he didn’t know what a sand dollar was nor had he ever found one. After yesterday, though, he knew that sand dollars were really flat sea urchins and he’d seen one burrow into the sand. Charlie absolutely loves animals. His family went to the aquarium before arriving at the beach house and he took lots of pictures with his iPod. With true excitement, he showed his pictures to everyone who asked. Charlie knows God created this world and that we should honor, celebrate, and take care of it. Charlie would love to be a zoologist or marine biologist when he grows up. I wholeheartedly support that career aspiration.
Griffin adores his cousins. He and his sister get along well and enjoy each other’s company. But Griffin becomes a different person around his cousins because he loves them so much. Griffin does not like the beach. He doesn’t like being wet and he doesn’t like being dirty, yet he enthusiastically went down to the beach each day so that he could spend time with his cousins. Griffin helped dig huge sand forts, waited patiently until the tide came in to fill the fort, and ventured into the ocean because Jack asked him to. For better or for worse, Griffin is a follower. Even if he’s hesitant or afraid, he will follow his cousins if they ask. As soon as the boys left today, Griffin gave up on the beach. He said, “I don’t like the beach without Jack, Henry, and Charlie.” His statement confirmed what I’ve known all along.
Henry is a hug in human form. He is loving, warm, attentive, and comforting (through his sense of humor), and he makes you feel better just being around him. On Sunday morning, as I was waking up, I heard the kids talking and laughing. Then, in the middle of their pure silliness, I heard Henry say, “Guys! It’s Sunday! We need to sing some hymns!” At that point he started singing the Hallelujah Chorus, led the kids outside, and evidently helped conduct a worship service led by Jack. Jack’s sermon was something like this: “God created everything. And God is everywhere. Amen.” Henry remembered it was the Sabbath and desired to have a moment of worship. How serious the worship was, I don’t know. But I have to believe that God was smiling as five young children sat on a bench at the beach, pretending to be at church, and sang the Hallelujah Chorus as their hymn of choice. Hallelujah indeed.
Amelia sparkles. Her smile radiates happiness and her singing and whistling reflect the same. Amelia likes for everyone to get along and she likes to speak aloud that everything is okay. It’s okay that the flip-flops she’s wearing are black and gray even though her favorite colors are pink and purple, and it’s okay that her swim shirt is a little too small because it still covers her burned shoulders. It’s also okay when a wave hits her in the face and gets water in her hair and eyes. As long as she’s able to stand back up, breathe, and face another wave, that’s what matters. What isn’t okay, though, is for people to be dirty. Amelia demonstrated this beautifully on Saturday afternoon. As my brother played in the sand with the boys, Amelia made it her job to gather water in her bucket. As she was trying to figure out what to do with the water, she said, “I know. I’ll wash Uncle Daniel’s feet.” And she did. She poured a bucket of water on Daniel’s left foot and he cleaned it right off. Then she got another bucket of water and cleaned his right foot. And then she kept going until she’d washed all of the boys, and my, feet. Amelia doesn’t know the significance of washing people’s feet. Yet she humbly and willing set about the futile task of washing feet at the beach. I will never again think of foot washing in the same way.
Jack has no idea how much he means to me, nor does he have a clue that his posture on Saturday spoke to my heart. After battling the ocean with Hen and me and digging in the sand with his dad and the other kids, Jack sat down beside me in order to catch his breath. As we talked, I noticed that he was sitting with his hands on his knees, palms up, in a receiving position. When he asked me a question and looked to me for the answer, I couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that I’ve had the opportunity to love this boy for eleven years. For better or worse, my boys and girl receive from me, and I can only pray that what they receive is the beauty of God’s love.
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