Children - our hope, our future, ourselves

On Monday I went to DC ... to hang out with Florida Friends!!! The G's were in town because Dr. J ran a marathon. I know -- crazy!!! But, he rocked it out and made a reason that I got to see sweet friends in a city I love. And it was awe --- wait for it --- some! And more....

Here's my story:

I get to DC with the Metro which I thoroughly enjoy. To be honest, I might even consider moving somewhere just to ride the train everyday. I think it's a brilliant mode of transportation, and I think I've been a closet environmentalist all my life with the desire to ride mass transit. I made my mom ride the bus in Vancouver to get to a museum (at which I happened upon a nudist beach, but why would that not occur in my world?) It was the first time she was ever on mass transit. As I exited the train station in DC I noticed 2 Middle Eastern men walking with great intent, one on the cell phone. I thought, "What are they up to?"

Ignoring the men, I turned in the wrong direction. Making a u-turn because I went towards the Mall rather than the museum, I hear JG's voice. He was talking to the Middle Eastern men!! Yep, I had suspected a my friend's running buddy of being a terrorist. Worse than that ... I had met him before. Hello, goob!!! And then his brother started hitting on me. Have I told you that for some reason up North I'm hip? In Florida, not so much, but up here, the men flock to me.

After N's running hug and group squeezes we head to the Holocaust Museum. I've been to DC numerous times, have lived there one summer and can tell you where most museums are. However, I've purposely never gone to the Holocaust Museum. With relatives having died in Russia for being Jewish, I just didn't want to bring to mind the severity again. I have a pretty active imagination and have garnered many a vision as to what happened in WW2. I didn't need more. But, the museum is well worth it. We went through the children portion and then to the adults.

M has just turned 8. She has always been a deep thinker and we have very interesting conversations. While we were in the adult section of the museum she became quite upset:

M: I don't like this. I feel very afraid and sad. Those Nazi's were mean.
D: You should feel sad. People were really hurt back then.
M: Yeah, but he was just a bad ruler.
D: He was. But, who is our great Ruler?
M: Jesus.
D: Right. So, when you're upset by people being hurt, use those feelings to turn and pray for the ones being hurt to be comforted. And pray for the ones hurting others that God would save them.
M: But, my praying won't save them.
D: Oh, M. You know your prayers are heard by God and are sweet incense to his nose? When we pray it reminds his heart to find and save those people.

M immediately excused herself and stood by the wall. She started praying. When finished, we continued through the museum. She was frustrated that people weren't liked because of how God made them. We talked about how we are made in God's image and that Hitler didn't believe that about all people. She prayed again. Right in the middle of everyone.

We talked about the Torah, the Jews who were harmed, the conditions they lived in, the way they were transported. We walked through the barracks, the train, the rooms full of shoes. We looked at 100's of pictures from Lithuania. We shared how people helped others and that we can help others. We realized that there are people today being hurt in the same manner that the Nazi's were harming people.

By the end, N & M were with me and we made it to the Hall of Reflection and Remembrance. We found a little cove to sit and talk. Once N stopped exclaiming how cool the room was with all its candles, I suggested that we pray for people being hurt and harmed in our world. And that we pray for people hurting others that God would save them and change their hearts. N announced that he would pray first. Silently he bowed his almost five year old head and prayed. M then prayed. And with tears in my eyes I realized that these were kids I loved dearly. But, what I really loved was that they knew they could talk to their Father in heaven and he would hear them. He would listen to their little hearts with great interest and joy. And that he would act because of their prayers.


While in the musuem, I saw a doorframe used in a synagogue to hide the Ark of the Covenant. I was going to quiz M, so I said, "Do you remember what was in the ark?" N pipes up and says, "Ya, there were animals, and hay, and I made it!"

It was such a great time with laughs, hugs, tears, and a reminder of how we truly can impact kids. Love you G's! Thanks for letting me hang out with you.