They really do listen sometimes.

Luke. Ahh, this kid is something else. Don't even try fitting him into a box because he will most assuredly bust out of it. Smart but squirrely. Compassionate but stubborn. Full of intrigue, but not so interested in hard work. I really think he'll be a Shane Claiborne-make-your-own-clothes-from-organic-cotton type just to stick it to the world for making him wear buttons growing up. Just when I think I'm angry enough for the cartoon red face and smoking ears, he demonstrates that he actually listens sometimes. I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to witness one of those moments today.

My dear, life-long friend, Rachel invited the Stum boys to a play date at our local jumpy inflatable germ factory. After lots of days at home or traveling, I was all for it. As if time to chat with her wasn't enough, our children decided to be supremely content playing together, too. Bliss! The 5 big boys were playing on the same inflatable when we noticed a Down's Syndrome child desperately wanting to play, too. He wanted a high five, and eventually our crew figured it out. All the boys were very sweet to him. He hung with them for awhile, but Luke made his way over to me for clarity. "Mom, is he a special guy?" Oh, Luke. If you saw this boy's face and how delighted he was to be playing with you and your friends, you would know he is indeed so very special. They were pals for awhile longer, and Luke let his new friend pick him up over and over (and sling him around a lot, too). I noticed the boy's grandmother or caregiver just beaming. Her special guy was having a great time!

I don't detail their meeting to brag on Luke. He can be a total turkey. It isn't even that he and his friends were playing with a boy much older and much different than them. It just made me so thankful and humbled to witness my child opening his mind. In the context of a perfect day with his friends surrounded by all of seemingly perfect suburbia, this child was "the least of these." Luke could have played on 10 other inflatables without taking 5 minutes to notice this boy, and that would have been fine. I just can't help but think that seeing his dad loving the Exceptional Ministry class members at our church, and watching Jake make plates of food for his under-housed friends, and jumping on a plane to go halfway around the world to meet a brother we've given him no choice but to accept paved the way for kindness today. Why do I waste time majoring on the minors when moments like this are what we're ultimately working toward?