Wintertide Tractations: Middle

Hello! Third day of Wintertide Tractations.  The word is Middle.

Start.

Today Kyrie and I participated with our church's outreach, handing out gift bags to the children in a nearby neighborhood.  Our youth pastor and his wife led the delivery and three of their children joined in the group that went.  Their daughter, Spice, is the middle child, being sandwiched between two boys older than her and two younger.  Spice is merry, like pumpkin spice, full of delight and wonderfulness.  Across her cheeks is a sprinkle of freckles, like nutmeg spice on the top of a creamy goblet of eggnog.  Her light brown eyes glow and study the world with curiosity and a measure of analysis that makes me feel like she knows far more than we adults imagine.  At seven, she's smart, mischievous, and wiggled her way into my heart a few weeks after her family arrived back in April.  For some reason, Spice attached herself to me and I loved having her catch up to me time after time and sleep her little hand into mine.  She wanted me to sit on the same seat of the bus with her and periodically would lean her head on my arm (she doesn't reach my shoulder yet, of course), or give me spontaneous hugs.

Being the middle child can be tricky, just as any position in a person's sibling line-up.  My mother knows what it's like to be the middle daughter in her family.  For some middle children, there is a tendency to "fall through the cracks", not being a "big kid" and not being a baby, or at least not considering oneself one of the "littles".

Spice has needs and one of those is that I pray for her and her parents and brothers.  She may never know whether I do or not, but as her friend, the best thing I can do for her is to pray for her precious life that she would grow up to love and honor our Savior and for me to live my life as close to Jesus Christ as I can as an example for her. 

If, as the Proverb says, "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right." (20:11) then surely an adult's doings are evident.  I must be very careful, with the Lord's help, to live in such a way that this little soul, as she watches me, will not be led astray by anything I say or do.  It's too big a job for me, but the Lord Who cares can help me and this precious middle child and friend, Spice.