Out of the Mouths of Babes

- A SHORT THREAD –

1/10

The wife and I took our two grandsons on a short road-trip this past weekend. We drove through Zion National Park; stopped at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park; then spent the night in Kanab, Utah before returning Sunday afternoon.

2/10

Saturday afternoon we spent a couple hours at the Kanab City Park (fabulous park). The boys (Alex – 8; Harley – almost 4) played hard on the elaborate jungle gym while we watched from a bench on the perimeter.

3/10

At one point, another rather aggressive little boy was hogging a particularly popular feature of the jungle gym, and despite Harley's repeated requests to "have a turn", the boy wouldn't let him.

4/10

After Harley's fifth request for the boy to let him have a turn, the boy emphasized his denial by pushing Harley down. The other boy's father issued a disinterested correction and returned to his smart phone; so I called Harley to come to me.

5/10

Harley, crestfallen, walked over to me and my wife, and with tears in his eyes, said, "He won't give me a turn." I sat him on my lap and said, "Go back over there, shove *him* down good and hard, and tell him you want a turn NOW!"

6/10

Harley looked me in the eye for a moment, then slowly walked back towards the boy while my wife and I looked on. He stood for a moment next to the boy, then reached out and gave him a big hug, and then said something we couldn't hear.

7/10

The other boy, against all expectation, immediately relinquished his position and permitted Harley to have his turn. My wife and I spontaneously turned to each other, choking up, with tears welling in our eyes.

8/10

Just a few minutes later, it was time to leave to check in at our hotel. On the drive there I inquired, "Harley, what did you say to that boy to get him to give you a turn?"

He replied, "Just calm down."

9/10

I said, "I am very proud of you for what you did."

Harley matter-of-factly replied, "It was the right thing."

And so it was.

I felt as humbled as I have ever been.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God."

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