holy ground

This Sunday morning, to lead up to Palm Sunday next week, we read the story of Mary of Bethany pouring her most precious treasure of perfume on Jesus’ feet. Afterwards I asked, “Will, what’s your favorite thing that you have?”

Immediately: “My Dog.” (The Dog he sleeps with every nap and night, the Dog he can’t go to bed without, the Dog I have to confiscate and keep in the cupboard or he’d carry it around all day stuck to his face.)

“Would you give your Dog to Jesus?”

“Yes!”

So we wrapped it up in lots of paper and tape.

“Ok, now yet’s give it to Jesus.” He pushed it straight up in the air over his head, and then didn’t know what to say, so I led him in this prayer:

“Dear Jesus (Dear Jesus),

this is my favorite thing (dis is my favwit thing).

And because I love you so much (and b’cuz I yuv you SO much),

I want you to have it (I want YOU to have it). Amen.”

“Ok, now yet’s throw it up in the air to Jesus!” So he did, twice, and it came back down again, twice.

“Look, Will,” I volunteered, ”Jesus is giving it back to you!”

He picked it up the little package and rapturously unwrapped it, and it was like seeing his dog for the first time. After he gave her the requisite adoring cuddles (by the way, it’s only just recently that Dog has become female and acquired the name “Fluffy”), I said,

“Ok, now let’s go outside and find treasures from Jesus for us!”

“Hooray!”

The next hour was spent supervising Will taking pictures with our camera for the first time (which I thought nothing of because he’s so naturally cautious and responsible, but James was a little concerned when he got home and saw the pictures-- some of me happily swinging on the swing with Ben, and Will obviously more than an arm’s length away from me!)

I reveled in Will’s perspective on the world, in all the things he found to take pictures of, in his contagious delight looking for presents from Jesus to us...

William's "Treasures from Jesus"

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

(photo credit: William Broughton)

But the best moment of our morning?

After taking his fifteenth picture of green grass (“Yook, Mommy! Jesus gave us more grass!”), Will says,

“Mom, remember, in the movie, dat girl with the yong hair danced on the grass with her bare feet?”

Light glimmered… we watched Tangled last weekend.

“Come on, Mom, yet’s dance on the grass!” He sits down and proceeds to strip off his socks and shoes, and then calls to Ben: “Ben! Come here! Yet’s take your shoes off!” Ben happily sits down, Will pulls off his shoes and socks too...

And all I can think of is that famous Elizabeth Barrett Browning quote:

Earth's crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God:

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,

The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries.

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

And then I thought of Ann’s book, where she says she "might never wear shoes again", so conscious has she become of the holiness of God filling each moment with I AM.

Yes.

New spring grass from Jesus is definitely holy ground. My boys instinctively knew to take off their shoes.