Me Instead. . .

At some point during each day we spend time swinging on our swing set. I push the boys, and as I push them we have little talks. I like to call them swing set conversations. Most of the time the talks revolve around dinosaurs and superheroes, but occasionally the conversations go a little bit below the surface. And, because I live below the surface, I love the days they dig deep and give me glimpses into their sweet little hearts.

One day last week I began pushing them and the conversation just happened to center around Grandma and Pop. JCT was talking about how Grandma can't walk right now. And, Joshua asked me if Pop was in any pain. I told him that, yes, even though Pop was so much better, he still had to fight through a great deal of pain in order to do the everyday normal things that we do. Joshua's swing came to a slow stop, and he looked thoughtfully at the ground.

After a few minutes, I asked "What are you thinking?"

He responded. . .

"I was just thinking that I wish I had been in the accident instead of Grandma and Pop."

Surprised by his answer, I asked, "Why would you say that, Joshua?"

"Because I don't want Grandma and Pop to be in any pain. I wish it could be me instead."

And, in that moment I caught a glimpse into my little Joshua's heart. And, I wasn't sure what to say or how to respond. So, I mumbled something about that being a Christ-like thought because Christ thought of us better than Himself, too. But, my response paled in comparison. . .

His sweet heart caught me a bit off guard.