My two year old...
Let me set the stage a little. My two year old, Taylor, is named after my favorite kind of guitar. She has blue eyes that can only be described as magical. She smiles incessantly. She loves to talk in little short phrases with a lisp that will make you tilt your head and say, "Awhhhh". She has a mullet, not a gaudy mullet, but a mullet nonetheless. Aly had a mullet, too, but it was the kind of mullet that marred the family name. I had to shave her head like Samson three times. It was like the back of her head was fertilized. Taylor, on the other hand, has a mullet that not only grows on her, it grows on you, too. The more you're around this mullet, the more you want one, not matter whether you chew tabacco or not. This little girl gives mullets a good name.
But this email is not about mullets. It's about something that my two year old does that takes me to the other side. Any chance I get to go to the other side, I seize it.
When she is eating something like candy, an apple or cheese for example, occasionally I will ask if I can have some. She will immediately take the particular item and lift it towards my mouth to feed it to me. I will take a small bite and before I can utter a word of thanks, she quickly says, "Tank U." It happens all the time. She thanks me for letting her share. I don't know if she understands the protocal of manners, but I hope she never does. At first, I was trying to correct her. "No, Taylor, you say 'You're welcome.'" What am I doing? What would it look like if we lived in a world where people thanked you for letting them serve you? Someone shovels your driveway and comes to the door when they're done and says, "Thank you." Someone stops to help you change your tire and before you can say it they mutter, "Thank you." Someone comes to the hospital to visit you and before they leave they say, "Thank you."
And you are left saying, "You're welcome.", which in this case will always be the shorter end of the stick. It's caused me to think of how many times I feel like others should thank me for all that I do to help them. What holy hogwash! I wonder how many blessings I've missed because I think serving is a way of getting thanked. The best thing anyone could ever give us is the opportunity to help them. "It is more blessed to give than to recieve." or putting it another way, "Tank U."
Sometimes I wonder who's closer to the kingdom, Mr. Ministry Man or the little girl who is currently pulling on my pant leg?
But this email is not about mullets. It's about something that my two year old does that takes me to the other side. Any chance I get to go to the other side, I seize it.
When she is eating something like candy, an apple or cheese for example, occasionally I will ask if I can have some. She will immediately take the particular item and lift it towards my mouth to feed it to me. I will take a small bite and before I can utter a word of thanks, she quickly says, "Tank U." It happens all the time. She thanks me for letting her share. I don't know if she understands the protocal of manners, but I hope she never does. At first, I was trying to correct her. "No, Taylor, you say 'You're welcome.'" What am I doing? What would it look like if we lived in a world where people thanked you for letting them serve you? Someone shovels your driveway and comes to the door when they're done and says, "Thank you." Someone stops to help you change your tire and before you can say it they mutter, "Thank you." Someone comes to the hospital to visit you and before they leave they say, "Thank you."
And you are left saying, "You're welcome.", which in this case will always be the shorter end of the stick. It's caused me to think of how many times I feel like others should thank me for all that I do to help them. What holy hogwash! I wonder how many blessings I've missed because I think serving is a way of getting thanked. The best thing anyone could ever give us is the opportunity to help them. "It is more blessed to give than to recieve." or putting it another way, "Tank U."
Sometimes I wonder who's closer to the kingdom, Mr. Ministry Man or the little girl who is currently pulling on my pant leg?
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