It was Caleb this time.

Looking back through my posts, I've noticed that I tend to write things about Ben.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it's because he's started school this year and is having new experiences.  Or maybe because he's learning more about the world around him.  At any rate, this time it was Caleb who's said the funniest and most compassionate things the last few days.

Caleb loves to make people laugh. 
This was taken poolside last summer.

I'll start with the funny.  I posted this on my Facebook page, but for those of you that missed it....I'll tell about it again.  The other day Ben and Caleb were downstairs playing the Wii when of course they started fighting.  Those two can fight about anything.  I used to jump in right away and try to calm things down, but if I still tried to do that....I wouldn't do anything else for the rest of the day.  So these days I sometimes let them work it out for themselves...so long as there isn't any "touching" involved.  So this is the conversation I hear from downstairs:

"Stop!  Or I'm not going to call you my brother anymore." said Ben.

Caleb's reply, "I don't care if you call me your brother.  I am your brother for always.  You can only not be my brother if you go back in mommy's tummy and come out someone elses!"

Holy Cow!   It took everything in my not to laugh hysterically at the top of the stairs.  It was one rare moment when Ben didn't have a response.


Later in the day I was giving Eli some medicine.  For the last week and a half the boys have been passing around Strep Throat.  (We're praying that Denver doesn't get it before or during his Haiti trip.)  Anyway, Eli woke up sick that morning and was feeling pretty bad.  He'd slept and not ate anything all morning long.  He was only up to get some more medicine.

Caleb walked in the kitchen, saw what I was doing and asked, "Mom, did you pray for Jesus to touch him yet?"  Uh.  Uh.  Uh.  I totally had the deer in the headlights look. 

"Well.....not yet."  I said.

"I'll do it."  So Caleb took Eli by the hand and walked him down the hallway to his bedroom.  I quietly followed behind.  I felt so low and disappointed in myself for not praying for Eli and also so proud and in awe of Caleb and his faith.

Eli and Caleb
(Eli's in the stage where his smile
is more of a grimace. ha!)

I stood in the hall and peeked into the room as Caleb let Eli climb onto the bed first and then got up behind him.  Eli laid down on his pillow and Caleb helped him pull the covers up.  Then my four year old sat beside his little brother, put his small hand on Eli's forehead and prayed something like this:

     "Dear Jesus,

     Thank you for my food because I forgot to pray before lunch.  And please touch Eli because he is really sick.  Please take his sick away.  In Jesus name, amen."

Then Caleb told Eli to go to sleep, climbed down from the bed and met me in the hall.  I asked him, "Caleb, do you think Jesus hears when we pray and that he helps us?"

"Yep."  Then he took off.  There were toys to play with and things to do.  I, however, stood in the hallway for a moment.  I stood still and took the time to pray for my sick little guy and to thank God for the faith of my Caleb.  I know that Caleb doesn't understand it all yet, but I just am in awe of him.  I guess that's the childlike faith that God tells us about.