Watching the Kids

I've been sort of surveying my kids this week. Paying closer attention to their attitudes, their moods, and their actions. Perhaps I could garner some answer to the questions their behaviors were spawning in me? Why do you think it’s ok to walk in to my room at midnight and hand me a diaper while proclaiming, “I pooped.” Or, what emotion prompted you to try and make a sandcastle in the bathtub?

As Deanna and I have dealt with this transition in our own ways and had our own emotions play out for one another, I was curious as to some of the visible clues I might find my kids giving. How are they adjusting to a new life, a new world, a new culture? And quite frankly, other than a couple of nights Ian thought Swiper (The fox from Dora) was in his room, our kids have not behaved or acted any differently than they had at home. They laugh, they play, they do weird things I’m not expecting (see above) and they get tired and cranky.

But for them, life here really hasn’t been a drastic change from life in the States, only the landscape and relationships are a bit different. And I find myself asking why? What is it about their lives that makes them different from us? And the answer sort of casually wafts in. Our children have the same anchor they had before. Their mom and dad, their primary caregivers, their source of guidance, food, and scheduling are still there leading the way. So what is there to worry about? What is there to bring anguish?

I don’t mean to say that they haven’t suffered in some ways. They had to leave grandparents and friends, occasionally bug free houses, and quaint Sunday schools. And that’s hard. At times I’ll see the tears forming in their eyes when they talk or think about our old dog Lilly, or memaw and papaw, nana and grandpa. But, they cling to what they know and what they trust in.

And when I see that, I’m reminded of how often I need to do the same. God has not changed, regardless of what side of the world we find ourselves on. So, quite frankly, no matter what happens, everything’s going to be just fine. Even if the bathtub now doubles as a sandbox.