They say that we either waste time, use time, or invest time.
Several weeks ago, my wife and I enjoyed the weekend company of five year old Joslynn, our granddaughters. The little blonde kindergartner is reluctant to leave our house on Saturday. Doesn’t even like to get changed out of her pajamas.
But she loves to make paper airplanes, which we take great pains to color before folding and flying. Joslynn is not content until we’ve created not just one or two planes, but a fleet sufficient in number to replace an entire wing of the United States Air force.
But Joslynn had recently seen the Pixar movie, Monsters, Inc. She asked me draw the outlines of the main characters so she could color them. The truth is I can't draw for diddly. Never could.
But Josie absolutely positively had to have those characters drawn, so I gave it my best shot. Grabbed my tablet and did an online search for images that I did a poor job of copying onto her paper. But Josie never once complained or criticized. She colored.
There was the big and fluffy Sully, Mike—the happy go lucky green guy whose one eye represents the full orb of his diminutive body. We drew Randall, the mean hearted purple lizard, and Boo—cute as a button—smiling and waving.
The day flew by and by nightfall, Josie was back home. Getting ready for bed, I grabbed my tablet. But before powering it down, I checked the most recent image on the screen. It was Boo. The cute little girl from Monsters, Inc. Still smiling. Still waving. Only now, it felt like a wave goodbye. I was not prepared for the lump in my throat.
Left to myself, I probably would not have suggested we take a whole day and sit around in pajamas with crayons in our hands. But now that it's come and gone, I feel schooled. Humbled.
I’m not sure that Saturday of coloring connects directly with Proverbs 22:6—"Train up a child in the way he should go…" But I’m thinkin’ somehow….it just might.