Jun
23
2020
The Step Stool
Posted in Faith 2 Comments
We told her that Aunt M is in her own apartment.
We told her that when she comes over, she would not always see her.
This day, however, Aunt M was coming over.
This day, her mommy told her so.
Aunt M make smoothie, my two-year-old granddaughter said with certainty.
There was so much more to her statement.
Aunt M will let me help her.
Aunt M will share it with me.
Before lunchtime, Aunt M came through the door.
My granddaughter heard her before she saw her.
Aunt M, make smoothie with me, she said in her little two-year-old voice.
Of course, Aunt M said to her; just let me put my things down first.
My granddaughter immediately went to the laundry room.
I knew what she wanted.
I heard the closet door open.
Do you need help? Aunt M asked.
She did need help.
She needed the large step stool.
She wanted it to be in the kitchen, so she could stand on it.
She wanted it to be in the center of the action.
Aunt M carried the step stool to the kitchen.
She opened it up so that the two steps were ready for climbing.
The step stool has a handle for safety across the top.
The step stool is always brought out each time my granddaughter comes over.
Where Aunt M put the step stool was not good enough.
It needed to be closer to the counter.
It needed to be right next to Aunt M.
It needed to be near the fruit, the almond milk, the bowl, and the immersion blender.
I watched as the two went to work.
I watched the fruit and the almond milk go into the bowl.
I watched my little granddaughter help Aunt M pour everything in the bowl.
I watched her climb down when the immersion blender turned on, since the noise is too loud.
I listened as Aunt M encouraged her niece.
You are such a helper, she told her.
I saw the wide smile on my granddaughter’s face.
This has to be a new record, I thought realizing how quickly the smoothie making began.
Aunt M even brought her large glass cup and straw with her.
It seems to be the official smoothie cup.
The smoothie is shared in all its deliciousness.
A bit of smoothie is inevitably found on my granddaughter’s upper lip.
A short time after, I began to make lunch.
All of my daughters were there and two of my granddaughters.
The kitchen is always a bustling place.
Everyone was talking at once about nothing and everything.
We found ourselves talking louder over the noise.
The step stool was being pushed across the kitchen floor.
My granddaughter was positioning herself closer to me.
She pushed the step stool into the corner of the counters where I was standing.
I heard my daughters laughing.
She’s got you pinned in, Mom, they said.
She did; I couldn’t budge even if I wanted to.
I had to reach over her head to turn on the water at the kitchen sink.
Grandma, my little granddaughter said, as she put her hand on my arm.
She wanted to be close to the action.
She wanted to be as near to me as she possibly could.
She wanted to help and be right where I was standing.
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:43-48)
A woman, who suffered from bleeding for twelve years, wanted to get close to Jesus.
If she could just touch His cloak, she knew that she would be healed.
If she could just get close to Him.
But the crowds were large, making that difficult for her.
She was persistent.
She pushed through the crowd, though she was unclean and should not have been there.
She reached out and touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak.
Immediately, she was healed.
I thought of the woman as I watched my granddaughter push the step stool around the kitchen.
My granddaughter wanted to be close to the action.
My granddaughter wanted to be as near to me and her Aunt M as she possibly could be.
Just like the woman.
Nothing would keep the bleeding woman away from Jesus.
Your faith has healed you. Go in peace.
Do you hear the sound of the step stool positioned to get closer?
How close can you get to Jesus today?
I love this! My 2 year old granddaughter is the same way and everyone must participate in the activity. If you are sitting on the periphery she will come to you and take your hand to include you no matter who you are. May we all be more childlike in these good ways.
Amen, Paula.
To have the faith and innocence of a child.
Blessings,
Gina