TENDERIZING A SMALL HEART

Nate and I were hanging out one Saturday in the Pooch Coach; Beth and Mike had gone to the Razorback game.  We were watching the Noggin channel and there was a good program about three friends who have adventures in NoWhere Land.  There's Maggie, the imaginative little red-haired girl whose stuffed animal friends come to life... Hamilton Hocks, the pig who likes things to be in order, loves to cook for his friends, and bursts into song spontaneously...and Ferocious Beast, who is anything but ferocious with his tender heart and huge body with red polka dots (which fly off when he sneezes).

The storyline told of Hamilton getting a prize that he had won in a cooking contest.  The pig's prize was a pushtoy with popping balls and he was SO excited because he'd always wanted that toy.  His friends watched Hamilton as he gleefully played with the popper.  Then Maggie and Hamilton left on an errand.

Ferocious Beast told his friends he didn't want to go with them because he had something to do.  But the truth was that he wanted to stay behind to play with Hamilton's new toy.  And he had fun...until he stepped on the popper and the dome came off and the balls went everywhere.

FB was distraught because he had not asked to play with the toy and now it was broken and his friends were coming back.  The Beast began to cry.

At that point Nate got up from the floor.  That should have been a no-brainer clue to me. Everyone knows kids watching TV don't break their eye-lock, even if you yell "CANDY BAR". But Nathan came and stood beside me at the sink, then grabbed onto the side of my britches and held on.  His little heart is very tender towards the feelings of others.  I also found out later that Nate had been learning that same lesson about telling the truth the week before.

I gave Nate a hug, but hadn't really put it all together about how the program was affecting him. June Cleaver would have leaned down and talked Nate through his feelings.  I must have been in my "Martha mode" and it didn't dawn on me until later why my little buddy was standing there.  I missed a great opportunity and that reminded me that I'm too old to do two things at once.  So much for multi-tasking.  

And what about Hamilton's plight?  The segment ended well with Maggie (clearly the problem-solver of the three) gathering up the balls and popping the top back on.  Voila!  The pig's problem went away and he shared his toy with his friends.  Don't we all long for the simple life that ends so idyllically ?  Wouldn't it be great if everyone's motives and actions were pure? Wouldn't it be great if there were no hurt feelings?  Or that you could pack up your troubles as easily as Maggie snapped the top back on the popper?  But wait...isn't that day coming?

"He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  For the old world and its evils are gone forever."  Revelation 21:14 NLT