For months, when someone asks what grade my oldest is going into, my response has been, "He's finishing up the sixth grade." Over the weekend, a friend asked me if Landen was going into the seventh grade. I sharply corrected her with my pet sentence: "No, He's finishing up the sixth grade." She just smiled and squinted at me in her loving way. I'm in four kinds of denial, folks.
He's twelve. He's going to a youth group welcome rally with James tomorrow night. He'll be adding more and more "youth" activities to his schedule as the next months and years unfold. His shoulders are broadening, his boundaries are broadening...my mind: not so much. I can hear Robin Williams' voice as the genie in Aladdin. "HUGE COLOSSAL POWER....itty bitty living space." My poor, poor brain.
He's so excited. He's kept up with his "May" responsibilities (regular and punitive) with a super attitude. This youth group stuff has hit a motivation button that until this point had been dreadfully elusive.
I'm reading "A Mind at a Time" by Mel Levine. His primary focus is to discover each child's mode of mental operation. He capitalizes the strengths and modifies the learning process to avoid exploiting the weaknesses. God is using this completely positive approach to go beyond my normal conviction of selling LP short. He's inspiring me to turn the corner with Landen and "name it and claim it" so to speak. Landen has many strengths. I pray that I can train him up into those strengths. I want to equip him to accomplish tasks despite weaknesses. And in all that training and equipping, I want him to be encouraged by me. wow. Lord, keep working on me.
Landen has always been an encourager. When he was three, he would regularly smile at the WalMart stockers and say, "Yoh do-ning a gwate job!" He has a divine demeanor with older folks. He will sit and chat...asking questions about pictures on their wall, pets they used to have, and tons of other questions that many might think too mundane or awkward. People love to talk about themselves, and Landen listens with very little commentary, just a steady, interested smile. He is an absolute work horse. His muscles and mindset allow endless joy to be found in an outdoor project. Also, he can remember sequential facts or numbers like a stinking Rolodex. He may not be able to put into words the central theme of a narrative, but he can tell you what page he was on when the phone rang....and what number showed up on CID. When I've asked him what happened in a particular chapter of a book, instead of giving a summary, he begins to recite the first several sentences from 11 pages ago...then gets frustrated that he can't remember any further. In the past I've been sure to see the comprehension issues as weakness (and have been verbal about it). And in the past I would fail to see the memory skill as a strength (and thus refrain from being verbal about it) Do you see how I've screwed up my kid? Perhaps this turning season will provide a turning leaf.
A new leaf. Se...Sev....SEVEN..TH gr...ade leaf. There. I said it.
Thank You, Lord, for new leaves. I guess they're all old leaves to You, but you allow us to learn and grow and discover while You patiently guide and illuminate our way. Forgive my impatience. It is not of You. Help me love & teach Landen the way you love & teach me. Gently, purposefully, patiently. Keep him and hold him as he ventures off (with baby steps) into some new arenas. Help me be open-minded and approachable...and encouraging. Open my lips to speak love.
