We just got back from a fun-packed weekend in the country. We visited Peter's parents in rural-ish Michigan, and we managed to fit in a whole lot of fun for our city girl: horseback riding, swimming in a backyard pool, playing with two new friends her age, playing with a dog and cat, sitting on a real live motorcycle and then watching it drive away, picking fresh veggies and berries from the garden, playing in the brook, exploring a kiddie tree house, going to a family fair that included cotton candy/a bouncey castle/face painting/ice cream, and lots of just everyday normal fun stuff too. :) Thanks Nama and Napa - our toddler (and we adults) had a great time!
At the end of our weekend we went to church, where Eva was excited to go to the nursery and then promptly met another girl maybe a year or two older then her to play with. Partway through the service, Eva, the other little girl, and three school-aged kids all came out to join the congregation for the children's sermon. The kids sat dutifully in a row up on the front carpeted step while Pastor John began his illustration. Eva was right in the middle of the five kids, watching him intently, and quietly - at first.
Now I should mention that this was Eva's first children's sermon, because at our church (and the others we've visited thus far), the toddlers don't participate in the kiddo message, just the older kids already in the service take part and then head to children's church or something. So just remember, she was by far the youngest kid up there, and would normally be watching aquarium frogs or coloring in the confines of a nicely staffed nursery. Just saying.
So, anyway, Pastor John pulled out a pair of binoculars from a bag and asked one of the taller boys up on the step to try looking through them. He asked, "Can you see anything?" and the boy said "No, it's dark." Then Pastor John took the binoculars to each kid, giving him/her a turn to peer through the lenses and asked, "Can you see anything?" Eva was not exactly patient, but got her turn to look, and then put her hands out at her side when quizzically saying, "I can't see?" The rest of the room was softly chuckling here a bit, I think because she was so expressive in her disappointment, and also pretty loud. I was thinking to myself, aww, she is cute, look at her waiting for her turn...
Then, one of the older kids figured out that the pastor had not taken the small plastic covers off of the binocular lenses, and that was why none of them could see. So Pastor John held the binoculars up again to the eyes of the older kid - who then said, "Yeah, I can see now!" Then Eva, who was next to the older kid, kind of elbowed the kid and said directly to the pastor,"I want to see, MY TURN!" (Even louder.) So the room chuckled a little again, and the pastor obliged, holding the binoculars down to her short little frame in front of her eyes, at which point she exclaimed: "I CAN SEE!!! I CAN SEEEE!! I CAN SEEEEEEEE!!!" This was accompanied by ecstatic running on the stage, grabbing other kids arms, and then running off the stage to hug grandma sitting in the front row. Insert wild congregatinal laughter, surprise and a big grin from the pastor looking in our direction, and tears streaming down my face as I giggled.
Pastor John continued his faithful message about needing to see in order to understand God and the Gospel, and made some comment about how this was an eventful children's sermon, and at least it wasn't about healing the blind man... insert small congregational chuckle again. Eva calmed down enough to pray along with the other kids and the pastor as the children's time ended, and then bounded down the stairs when they were dismissed, chasing the other little girl saying "Let's go play, friends!" - again, pretty loudly. Now I was thinking, wow, she kind of stole the show there, just by being herself. :) My little girl.
While the whole church service was a very thoughtful and well-planned out time to gather and praise and connect with Peter's home church body, I will mostly remember Eva's unbridled exuberance and wonder at being able to see. And - the welcoming church family and pastor that loved her reaction to the discovery of sight as much as I did. (Apparently, Eva also made it into Pastor John's top five children's sermon experiences too; Peter and I had a bit of a conversation after the service, including having him ask which one of our DNA influence had run around on that stage that morning.)
Not a bad close to our weekend, not bad at all. :) Pictures to come...
