Your Call

Last Sunday was my LAST Sunday helping out at Cubby House @ Hillsong Church where for two hours every Sunday afternoon from 11am to 1pm, those beautiful kids ages 1 - 3 would never fail to brighten up my week ahead.

So when I stepped in those familiar doors on Sunday - I couldn't help but feel this REALLY heavy sense of dread - I guess mostly due to the fact that I know most probably I would NEVER get see kids again...

I still remember the first kid who stole my heart :) *haha*

His name was Joshua... I can't remember much of him - nor did I ever see him again after that week... It was almost as if he came that day for that one purpose and that is to get me hooked on Cubby House...

I remember him as this TINY Fragile boy... I've helped out at children church in FGA KL before - but they were always much OLDER - in primary school mostly... and so that was my FIRST time ever caring for such a young kid - I mean I grew up in a large family and have always grew up with kids but this is different - this was this amazingly ADORABLE BEAUTIFUL blonde 1 year old boy who was the SWEESTEST!!!

I remember vividly playing with him through out that 2 hour service and when his parent's came, right before they left - he turned around and gave a hug and the MOST sloppy kiss on the check and his mom made him say 'TA' (which is an aussie way of saying thankyou) where by at that time - I had absolutely NO IDEA what the heck TA was! *haha*

The following week I went to check out an older age group - from 3 - 5 years but the kids SO HYPER!!! and through out the service I was so LOST - I kept thinking about Joshua and how angelic he was and I MISSED HIM - so half way tru... I LEFT 'The Ark' and NEVER LEFT Cubby House since :)

Well, sadly as I told you, I never saw Joshua again... but that week I made new friend - JEREMY! He's was platinum blonde Hyper kid - Not like SWEET ANGELIC Joshua... He was running around everywhere... but he was OH SO CUTE!!! I guess I remember Jeremy cuz he was the FIRST kid that almost got me in trouble... He was running around so much and at that time there used to be this plastic toy house... Jeremy being the boy he is - climbed everywhere and as expected - he fell and cut himself (really close to his eye)...

Surprisingly he was pretty strong cuz after a while he stopped crying and I thought all was good :) but I WAS SO WRONG!

cuz when his mom came to pick him up after church - the first thing she asked was who was taking care of Jeremy and what happened to his eye!!! I was TERRIFIED!!! I have never got grilled like that from a mother before - but I guess it opened my eyes to the western culture :) and I learned the hard way on what I should have done when accidents happen!

Later on, I found out that his parents were going through a divorce and I remember feeling bad for Jeremy - he was the only child and he was such a beautiful child! He was literally like those DOLLS u pick up from the toy shelf... and although he was all over the place - he found his way to this special place in my heart too :) and my heart broke knowing what was going on in his world and I remember praying he would grow up to be that beautiful amazing man he was called to be...

His mom took him to another service soon after (out of fear that his dad would secretly pick him up from Cubby House when his mom was at service) and I never got to see him after that... Not until last year I think, or maybe this year... when I got to see that familiar platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes... He is still beautiful and I remember the first thought that went through my head was - 'my gosh! He TALKS NOW!' *haha*

*sigh* kids do grow up too quickly...

Along the way there were many other kids... Sebastian - this spanish kid with curly black locks, Josiah was the class sweetheart... and Ezra was another... then there are the newer kids - Ethan and Jared, oooo... and who could forget Bryn :)

YEP, I do somehow have a soft spot for boys *haha* I guess I have to blame it on only having ONE brother :)

So Sunday, I was trying to soak everything up - trying my best to take a mental picture of Cubby House so that maybe, somehow I'd be able to remember and preserve my emotions, my thoughts - basically the MOMENT...

but 1 o'clock came by way too fast... :'(

and soon I found myself packing up the toys while waiting for parents to pick their children up. Suddenly, I was distracted by 2 boys asking for my help cuz they wanted to get into this cushion tube thing...

after helping them and playing with them a bit only did I realise that one of the boys was actually SEBASTIAN!! He is all grown up now! His locks are ALL gone!!! *sigh* but fortunately, those big brown eyes of his are still the same...

then, there was this tap on my leg... I turned and saw the BIGGEST grin I have ever seen...
I couldn't remember who that familar face was for the longest time... and only after a while did I manage to say 'OH my goodness EZRA! What happened to your hair??' and I really didn't mean it in the bad way - it's just that he used to have the coolest softest curls :) and they were all gone - he only had a tail left... with this really cool spider web thing shaved on the side of his head - of which he told me it was his dad who did it for him :)

Ezra has to be the HAPPIEST kid I have ever taken care of! He is always smiling and always happy and sweet and obedient! He is the BEST ever! and sadly he grew up WAY too fast... I would give anything to keep him in Cubby House :)

I remember being really sad knowing that he'd be leaving Cubby house after his 3rd birthday... but ya it was such a pleasant surprise seeing him again after such a long time...

See I have NEVER expected kids that age to remember who I am... I mean how much can a 3 year old remember right? Well that's what I thought... I thought I'd go there and bless the kids as much as I can - Cuz it was Jeremy who made me realise that some of these LITTLE Kid's worlds are falling apart as well (even at such a young age)... So if all I could do is to show them a lil bit of what LOVE means - then I'd do it the best that I can... so maybe when they grow up they'd learn to believe in LOVE too...

But on Sunday, Ezra showed me something so different...

See I turned and saw this cheeky kid with the biggest grin - and out of the corner of his smile... he mumbled 'Do you remember me?'

Which means -> He REMEMBERED ME!!! This 4 year old kid REMEMBERED ME!!!! :) I was SO touched!

So we played a bit before I left... and he's still so sweet despite being all grown up now...

When I told him that I had to go - he looked up (we were playing this pasta-cereal-sand-box thingy) and said:

'Will you come back and see me later?'

and at that moment, my heart MELTED! I WISH I could say yes! I wished it wasn't my last week... and yet I couldn't let him know nor lie...

'We'll See :)' was the only thing I could say in return...

Through Ezra - I learned something new on Sunday...
See I LOVE serving kids cuz I always feel they have that 'something' that grown ups loose every single day when they grow up - whether it is the stress - the demanding necessity to not only just make it in this world but to SUCCEED, or plainly just GREED!

but these children... They are contented! All they want in that couple of hours is to PLAY - to EAT and want their mummies and daddies to pick them up and take them to lunch after that :)

We on the other hand, we always strive for more... we are NEVER truly thankful for what we have as there is always this other person who has got it better and we want that too... Hence, we end up carrying the weight of the world while trying so hard to make it...

I LOVE watching these children play - without a care in the world... they play, they dance, they laugh, they LOVE... and for that couple of hours I get to be that too...

They have taught me so much and they have blessed me so much indeed... See I miss that sometimes - Miss being young and having that child-like FAITH - Their world is SO simple - it is protected, it is NOT tainted or stained... People in their world are black and white - you are either good or evil (not in between)... They sincerely believe there IS such a thing as living happily ever after, and there IS such a thing as meeting your Prince Charming... They do not judge people nor discriminate - their world is not complicated... They befriend others so easily and forgive in a second when others are in the wrong. They don't know bitterness nor jealousy. They look at the world with such curiosity and find beauty in the simplest of things... They have no regrets and have SO much to look forward to... Their life is FULL of purpose, endless possibilities, JOY, HOPE and PEACE... And They have BIG DREAMS to be someone GREAT someday...

Why do we loose all that when we grow up?

So to EZRA NEAL,
Thank you for reminding me that IT MATTERS - for reminding me that I don't get to see the big picture most of the time but it IS still a seed sown... Thank you for showing me such sincere gratitude... and for being such a blessing to me the last 3 years...

I pray that you will grow up to be the amazing man you are called to be. I pray you'll walk close with the LORD and NEVER stop loving and laughing with that amazingly God given smile of yours and brighten up this dark world of ours.

I pray that on the day we DO meet again - be it heaven or earth... I want to hear all the amazing stories of how great your life has been and all the great things you have done... I pray you WILL live life to the fullest and will LIVE according to your calling and REACH millions + change lives...

I know you'll be great someday and can't wait for the day I FINALLY get to see you again... and Till then - I will be missing that sweet smile of yours :)

Ps. you too have found your way in that special place in my heart :)

Lots of LOVE,

Nydia

Finally, I have to apologise for this long post and the chipmunk version of Secondhand Serenade - it just felt appropriate cuz it is the cutest! :)