I put Joce to bed at 6:30 and told Gid he could play outside a short time more before his bedtime. I turned on the faucet, sighing at the sight of dishes to be done. "Can you come outside with me?" he asked. "Not right now, I have to finish these dishes." I said. As I heard him come through the back door, I thought, "Ugh! Just play so I can get this done!" Much to my surprise, Gideon asked if he could help me with the dishes. Turns out, my anxiety calmed as I showed him how to clean and put the different dishes on the drying rack. Afterward, I told him what a great job he did and gave him money for his jar.
We decided to head out to the back yard with blankets and look at the clouds. He called it a "night out." I didn't expect it to be as wonderful as it was. Gideon spotted a caterpillar, butterfly, mouse, upside-down bird, coyote, kangaroo, destroyer ship, and a caterpillar shedding its skin! I spotted a rat and an elephant. Apparently, he has a bigger imagination than I! All the while, he ran around in circles with excitement. I even received a hug and an "I love you!" from him. He said, "This is a special time." Indeed it was. It ended with us gazing at the gorgeous moon in the early night sky and Gideon wondering if he could "jump off a tree branch onto the moon."
So, what was an annoying, no-end-in-sight kind of day, turned into a memorable, "special" night. One I won't ever forget. Thank you Lord for this gift and your grace that never ends.
