Being who God made him to be

On Sunday Matt and I went to church without Lloyd as he was working at the hospital. Our church is very relaxed and most of us with toddlers sit at the back of the church on the floor where the kids can roam and play without disturbing the rest of the congregation too much.

We were joined by a lady with whom I am in the very early stages of friendship. She is in her late 20s, walks with crutches and has a severe chronic illness. She has a gentle spirit and loves children. She sat down next to me and started to interact with Matt. I noticed how stressed she was looking but couldn’t really ask her about it as the service had started. Although Matt does not know her well, he warmed to her immediately. His warm smile encouraged her to start playing with him. Soon she was lying on her back, Matt sitting on her tummy staring intently into her face. Every time she lifted him in the air he would giggle with delight. I left them to play and focused on the worship. About 10 minutes later she and Matt had finished playing, and Matt made his way back to me. I looked up at my friend and I was surprised to see how calm and serene she was looking. No more strain in her facial muscles, only peace. As Matt crawled towards me I realized that his interaction with her had been more than play. Matt had been ministering to her – by him just being who God had made him to be. In that moment I felt so privileged to by Matt’s mother.