Merry Christmas Boys!

One of my roommates performed in a Living Christmas Tree Concert - which was Magnificent! And me and my other roomie went to enjoy it last night. Afterwards, we were just leaving the church when a young boy said something silly to his friends. I teased him in passing as me and my roommate walked out the door. But suddenly we were surrounded by a pack of young boys! All using various lines to get my number and/or come back to my place! They were not very good lines - and with how young they were, I had a hard time not finding it immensely amusing(pretty sure I failed at that actually).


I mean, I realize it's incredibly sad that these boys are already beginning to grow into something that terrifies me on a regular basis with older boys - but what could I do? What can you say to 10-year-old boys that could have any lasting impact at all? Yelling at them would accomplish nothing. They get enough of that. So as I walked away I turned around and allowed myself to laugh and said that "some girls like nice guys." I left them behind as me and my roommate chuckled under our breaths. But I hesitated a bit down the way. It wasn't enough. I needed them to know they brought me joy this Christmas, even though they were growing up entirely too fast. So I called to them - and boy did they came running.

I instructed them to climb on the wall and got my phone out for a picture. But...they started backing away - asking if I was going to the cops. They thought I wanted to take a photo because of how they had acted. It was so painful watching their faces go from childish excitement, to a hardness that is brought on by knowing the realities of the world far too early. I put my phone down and said as sincerely as I could that - No, it was not a picture for the cops. It was a photo to remember that they made me smile on this night. And I won't take it unless they allow it and I will not be asking for names. I don't know if they all believed me, but four of them clustered together and posed in their toughest, macho way. I laughed and said - And I will only be taking this picture if I get Big Smiles! They did their best I know - and this is what I got:

Afterwards I showed them the picture - I know how much children love to see pictures of themselves :) . And then they all said thank you and went to greet a grandmother as she made her way out of the church. I told her Merry Christmas and that they are good boys. She chuckled as one of them hugged me. If I would pitch a guess I would say he doesn't get many hugs, and many children desperately need them. So I smiled down at him and patted his head. I heard one of his friends say he was copping a feel, but there was nothing in that hug that suggested he was doing so. Course, then he grinned super big and so I laughed and swatted him away and said Merry Christmas to the lot before we, again, headed home. I don't know if I said or did anything right that night. But maybe God can use a piece of it in one of their lives. I doubt I will ever know - and that's ok. I do know that these boys were just children, and this Christmas I wanted to give them, just a moment, to act it. I hope to see them one day in Eternity. Merry Christmas Boys!