I was busy looking down searching for a "cool" shell and didn't notice that everyone else had started walking back until Bobby called my name from a distance. I looked up and turned to follow them, and saw that Joey was at my side. He said, "Mama, we're walking back. I came to get you." I was so touched by my sweet 4 year old boy, who has had some difficult moments lately throwing fits, walking all the way back to make sure I didn't get left behind. We walked, hand in hand, the entire way back down the beach to our rental house. The conversation that followed was nothing short of God-ordained. A gift given to me, and hopefully to him, too.
Me: Thank you so much for coming back to get me Joey. I love you so much. You have a wonderful heart.
Joey gave me a big side-hug.
Me: I'm so proud of you for walking all the way down the beach and not fussing. You're doing awesome, buddy.
J: Warriors do the hard thing.
Me: That's right, warriors do the hard thing.
J: Warriors protect the weak. I'm a warrior because I'm going to protect my family. If a bad guy was coming, I would stop him, even if I was scared.
Me: That's awesome bud, good job! But you know who God has appointed to protect all of us? Daddy.
J: Yeah, but I'll protect my family from bad guys.
Me: That's awesome, Joey. The world needs you to be a warrior, and God has given you such a strong heart. You know what? There aren't many warriors in this world, bud. This world needs you to be a warrior. You are such a special person. God has made you with such a special purpose. I don't know what he has planned for you as a grown up, but I know it's going to be amazing because God has a made you with a very important, special purpose. He knows exactly what he created you for, and it's going to be awesome.
J: I'd be like David and Goliath.
Me: Yeah!
J: Because David was a kid and he was scared, but he still did the hard thing.
Me: Well, I'm not sure if David was scared because he knew God was with him, but he was a little bit older than you. Maybe 10 or 12.
J: Yeah, because kid's don't die. Well, sometimes they die. And sometimes babies die, right?
Me: Yeah, sometimes babies die.
J: Like Caroline. She almost died because she almost didn't get surgery in time.
Me: That's right, she almost did.
J: Yeah, but she got surgery and didn't die. Sometimes kids have surgery. Does that happen to grown ups?
Me: Yeah, it does. Papa had to have surgery one time, before you were born, to save him because of his heart.
J: Oh. Do I need surgery?
Me: No, right now there's nothing scary going on in your body. You're healthy.
J: Well, I can protect Caroline because I'm a warrior.
Me: That's right. We all have to protect Caroline. And you get to protect her because you're older and can take such good care of her, and keep her safe and protect her from bullies.
A minute later:
Me, looking at the most beautiful pink, purple and yellow sunset: "Joey, I imagine that sunset is what heaven looks like. The most beautiful sunset you could imagine."
J: I think Heaven is all yellow.
Me: Oh, all yellow?
J: Yeah. But God is all the colors.
J: Mama, can God hear us when we're in Heaven?
Me: Yes, He sure can.
J: Can he hear us now?
Me: Yep!
J: Can we hear Him when he talks?
Me: Well, we don't usually hear God talk to us out loud on earth, but when you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit tells us what God is saying. When we read the Bible and learn more about who God is and what's important to him, we know the right thing to do. And if the thing we want to do is the opposite of what the Bible tells us, then we know it isn't the right thing to do.
J: If we do what isn't in the Bible, then it isn't right. I don't know where it says that in the Bible, but I know that's what it says.
Me: Well, we'll have to read in the Bible more, bud. You could start reading the Bible now I think. You're such a good reader that I think you could start reading some of Jesus' stories.
At this point, we reached Bobby, Bobby Sr. and Caroline. And then Bobby asked me if I had seen the rainbow. Apparently, on the opposite side of the sunset, the opposite side of where Joey was and where I was looking, was a bright, large rainbow across the sky. What a gift. It's a memory of Joey that I had to write down, because I absolutely never want to forget it.
