Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Simply Trash


The picture above may seem simple enough. It looks like a bunch of trash in a trash can. It is. We, like most humans, keep our garbage in a large can. This provides easy access for our garbage man to dispose of the mess on Wednesdays.

However, if you look closely, this week it was not just ordinary trash. Look closer. What do you see? It may be hard to make it out but there on the right is a package that contained Easter eggs that were shaped like dinosaurs. Over on the left is an empty package that held 4 wonderfully colorful squirt guns. Both packages are empty. Both are on the top of the pile.

Call the local paper, right? What's the big deal about the trash this week?

Well, to me and you it may seem like nothing. To an unsuspecting 4 year old it came at the perfect time.

After spending the morning hunting for said Easter eggs, and pretend water squirting we were off to Grandma "Cycles" house for church and lunch. A simple task. Get everyone dressed and ready for 9 am church.


Hurry, hurry, hurry.


Does everyone have a change of clothes?


Do we have the diaper bag packed?


How about toys for in church so we can avoid the nursery?


Check, Check and Check.


Now, lets load it up and get on the road.

Isaiah, the excited four-year-old was the first out the door. I followed soon after with a baby in one arm and three bags hanging from the other. As I stumbled into the garage I barely missed stepping on the four-year-old, who had come to a complete stop right next to the garbage cans.


I quickly dumped all of my baggage and strapped the little one into his car seat and proceeded to get ready for Isaiah to get buckled in.
However, he was not at all ready. He was still staring at the garbage cans. I walked over to try and hurry him along with a gentle nudge and was greeted with a very curious look. I couldn't, for the life of me, figure out what was so amazing about the garbage can.


But Isaiah had.


Without hesitation he looked at me and said, "Daddy, the Easter Bunny was very nice this year and threw all of his garbage away in the trash can". Wow. Between my amazement at how foolish I had been about putting the garbage on top of the pile and how a little boy could see through that and compliment the Easter Bunny on his/her tidiness was incredible.


Unsuspecting!


Unassuming!


Non-judgemental!


Totally forgiving!


Oh, to have the compassion, love and simpleness of a four-year-old. He never once thought that Mom and Dad were the Easter Bunny. Just went straight to the most logical answer.


The Easter Bunny was here, and the Easter Bunny doesn't leave a mess.


How cool is that?


To have such faith in something so simple that there is no skepticism. There is no doubt.


Just faith that IT is real and IT happened!!


2 comments:

  1. Wow, that is so great!

    We learn from an early age the value and necessity of cleaning up our own messes. It's basic stuff, right?

    Why, I wonder, do we forget that sometimes when we get older?

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  2. What a great post, Jon. I've been such a skeptic over the years, always questioning and second-guessing. I love that Isaiah still keeps his awe and wonder -- and that you help him keep that alive! Way to go, Dad!

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