"What did you do for Spring Break?!"
A simple question we all ask and all respond to without doubt or question. It's a societal norm and we are expected to partake in it. So like I had been doing with all of my friends, I asked one of my HYPE 2nd graders today what she did over her break. When she replied nothing, I dug a little deeper until she said she just stayed at home and watched tv. This was nothing out of the normal for her, so I let her be and didn't ask any further questions. A minute later though she turned to me with the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face and said:
"MISS KATELYN!!! I almost forgot!!! We went to a restaurant! Cheddar's!!! And I got fish and chips!"
Wow. Her enthusiasm almost made me sick with guilt because I didn't realize just how big a deal such occurrence as going out to eat was to one of my precious children. With my own recent trip to Tennessee in my mind, I had forgotten that such a simple thing to me, is a huge deal to her. To see her joy from simply going to a restaurant, and most likely getting a kid's plate made me saddened by the way I view life. Anything less than a fabulous trip or quality time with my family would probably have me disappointed, wishing I was able to go somewhere farther or eat something better. Yet, my second grader humbled me today. She opened my eyes to just how much I take for granted the material things in my life. I can't recall the last time I got so excited about eating out, and that's probably because I do so several times a week. But to her, one time going out to eat over Spring Break was more than enough to fill her week with joy and adventure.
I'm saying this to myself, because I don't want to keep getting used to life so much so that it takes more and more to excite me. No, I want to be like my 2nd grader who found such enthusiasm in life because she got to go out to eat. I want to take joy in the little things, the meals I eat every day, the laughs I share with friends, and the family members that fill my heart with joy.
In 1 Peter 4:7 it says, "Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted." I don't want to become used to things in life, and come to expect them. I don't want to take anything for granted or ever cross a line where I feel entitled to anything. So today I was humbled, and while it hurt my heart for a minute I smiled because once again God has taught me a lesson in the most beautiful of ways.
She then turned to me with her smile still on her face and asked me what I did over the break. I smiled back and said, "Well sweetheart, I got to eat at Chick-fil-A with my family."
She laughed and continued to smile, and I thanked God for the lessons I learn from my HYPE kids.
