Two Stories

Yesterday after church our pastor's wife was helping me get the kids out to the car.  As we walked through the parking lot, she asked Z what he wanted to be when he grew up.  He thought about it for a minute and then said, "When I grow up, the job I want to have is to be someone who has money to give to people who need money."  Barb and I were both touched by this answer, and I asked, "Why do want to do that job?"  Z answered, "Because when you give people money you help them get what they need."

Today as Eden and I walked home from Walgreens, we passed one of our elderly neighbors out raking his leaves.  I decided to stop and help, because we had never met.  As we were raking up the last of the leaves he asked me about my family, so I told him my husband's name is Nathan, we have a son named Lazarus, and this is our daughter, Eden.  "Eden," he said, "is that a Bible name?"  (He had already told me that he attends the local Catholic church.)  "Oh yes," I said, "you know, the Garden of Eden."  He kind of gave a self-conscious laugh and said, "Of course!  But that's just a material thing!"  Then he paused and said, "But I guess she's just a material thing, too.  Of course, she'll have a soul when she gets older."  I think the last statement was a bit of joke, although honestly I'm not sure.  I said something in agreement with her materiality and added that God loved her no matter how old she is.  I didn't take any offense . . . he meant it kindly.  But it is an example of the Christian tendency to be somewhat dismissive of the material things!