Renegade Pasta

We were having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.
I opened the box and proceeded to put the pasta in the boiling water.
I did what my mother used to do.
I broke a handful of the pasta in half before dropping it in the water.

I heard a piece of pasta fall to the floor.
It is not easy to find a dry piece of pasta on my floor since the color tends to blend.
Mostly, I have to find it by hearing.
I am pretty good at hearing where something falls.

However, pasta does not make that much of a sound.
I knew that one piece fell since I saw it slip from my hand.
I looked down on the floor as the rest of the pasta was cooking.
I could not see it anywhere.

Apparently, that has happened before.
Our house is very child friendly.
It has been that way since I raised my own children.
Since I have young moms over with their children, I try to make it as safe as possible.

I still have plug caps on the electrical outlets.
The bench in the family room that opens to reveal toys inside, locks when it is open.
I try to anticipate the age of the child who is visiting to make adjustments if needed.
One little boy, who visited with his mom, showed me that I can never watch everything.

This little 16 month old was so adorable.
He played well and knew how to entertain himself.
All the new toys kept him interested and occupied.
His mom and I were sitting in the kitchen.

He wandered in and looked around.
He found the marble roller on the low window seat.
I got up and moved it to the table since marbles can look like shiny candy.
His mom and I continued to talk at the kitchen island.

I saw him over near my stove.
I figured that he was looking at himself in the oven glass.
He walked towards us.
I thought for a brief moment that I saw something in his mouth.

His mom turned towards him.
I was sure there was something in his mouth but I could not imagine what it might be.
Give it to Mommy, his mom said putting her hand under his chin.
He spit out a piece of spaghetti that must have been on the floor.

To him, it looked like something he has eaten before.
His mom and I know that dry pasta is not edible.
He walked off ready to play again.
You just never know.

That precious little boy is making observations about his world.
He is curious.
Pasta on the floor looks like pasta on his high chair.
It is an easy mistake to make when you are little and everything is new and exciting.

Anyone who is around children knows how important it is to make everything childproof.
Some people have locks on their lower kitchen cabinets.
Others, place ornaments further up on the Christmas tree.
Most everyone turns the pot handles towards the inside of the stove so nothing spills over.

Parents and other adults have to look around as if you are the child.
You have to get down and see the room as a child sees it.
You have to go to great lengths to make sure that it is as childproof as possible.
There will always be that one thing; there will always be the piece of pasta on the floor.

We go to great lengths to childproof various rooms in our houses.
Do we go to such great lengths to childproof what children see and hear?
Are we careful about what is playing in the background when they are in earshot?
Are we selective about books, movies, and music choices when a child is around?

Childproofing our homes is a necessary thing.
We have to protect children from what can hurt them on the outside.
Childproofing what goes into a child’s heart and mind is even more important..
We have to protect children from what can hurt them on the inside.

That kind of damage is not as visible.
A child’s mind is a precious thing.
A child’s mind is inquisitive, curious, and able to learn very quickly.
A child’s mind retains much of what it sees and hears whether we realize it or not.

A song can be on the radio and a child will end up singing it.
They sing words, which often have no meaning to them.
The song becomes part of them even if it is not understood.
The song quickly goes in and stays there.

It is so important to fill a child’s mind with lovely things, and truthful things.
There is a war for the minds of our children.
Their minds are ready to be filled.
The question is, with what do we fill them?

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)

Even if it is in the background, it is heard.
Even if it is not read in steady doses, it is still in their minds.
Even if it is only one scene, it will be the one scene they remember.
Even if the rating says it is child friendly, discretion is key.

God gave us the job of raising our children, who in reality are His children.
It is not a job that can be done halfheartedly.
It is not enough to get them through the minefields of this life.
It is about training them to flourish.

Flourishing is not measurable by human standards.
Flourishing is measurable only by God’s standards.
Our children are only on loan to us for a while.
We are raising them for Him.

We will have to answer to God for the way we raised our children.
God will not ask about their degrees or the amount of money they make when they get a job.
God will ask if we raised our children to know Him and love Him.
God will ask if we filled them with truth, loveliness, goodness, purity, and nobility.

God will ask.
We will have to answer.
Let us childproof what goes into the hearts and minds of our children.
It matters to God; it should matter to us as well.

I vacuumed the kitchen and paid special attention to the floor near the stove.
Any dry pasta was sucked away.
I need to be on the lookout for renegade pasta and other things that could harm a child.
I need to be aware of the sounds and tone of my home since children come here often.