The Developmentalist and the Theologian

Every now and then, a moment of everyday life captures my educational interest. And sometimes, there is even theologically revealing (and solid) moment. This morning happened to be one of both...

It is December 21, and Isaac has already outgrown his winter coat (the one I bought huge for him in October). It is also twenty degrees with a windchill around ten (yes, folks, that is Fahrenheit). I have to be at church this morning to teach Sunday School because my helper has missed most of the last six weeks. Otherwise, we would have stayed home this morning.

So, I throw a lightweight fleece afghan (which also is very warm) in the car, because good mommy (or lazy and not wanting to deal with ear infection number five over Christmas mommy) is going to use it to keep a little man warming dashing from the car on the one horse open mom. Did I mention that Isaac HATES having his head covered (or blankets over him period)?

We get in, we make it through church and Sunday School, and I take every peripheral item (diaper bag, purse, Christmas presents, Christmas cards, art projects, kitchen sink) out to the car and come back to get the I-man. He is having a blast in the nursery and has to be convinced with promises of lunch and bye-bye to go. He waves bye-bye to Dixie (our preschool director whom he ADORES) in the hallway. And so this Norman Rockwell get-up heads to the car.

And this is where our tale unravels...

From the minute we step out the door (after promising a spanking if he took off his hat) into the freezing (or rather, sub-freezing) cold, he is fighting me, the hat, and the blanket. His hat comes off his head, and he is clawing madly at that mean old blanket (and the mommy on the other side). All the while he is screaming, "DIXIE!!!" After several yells, he shrieks, "JEEESUUUUSSSS!!!"

And here my friends is where theology and praxis meet everyday life. The developmental aspect of my education is thrilled that Isaac is identifying his Preschool Minister and Mom's Day Out teacher with Jesus. He is precociously recognizing that Jesus goes with church and those who interact with him represent Jesus (this is usually a development that happens a few years later than now, but he's a sharp kid). He is also recognizing, in the middle of the Christmas hub-bub that Jesus Saves! He might think that Dixie saves (and she does sometimes from a stressed-out mommy), but more importantly, even when trusted people fail us, Jesus will save us.

And, by the way, he did still get the spanking for taking off his hat. God keeps his promises too.

Those weren't sleighbells jingling...

I have a theory about that song (Winter Wonderland). I don't think in the modern-day it is sleigh-bells jingling. Instead, I think it is really the sound of more "stuff" to do. PDA's and cell phones chirping, email alerts chirping, and AIM ringing.

It's a wonder we don't go mad. Or maybe we are and just don't know it.

So, anyways, here's to slowing down and enjoying the holidays.

Just don't get run over by a reindeer while you're slowing down...Grandma was enough.