Red Boots and Words

Isn’t it great when you discover things in common with people?  It’s especially nice when it is someone special to you.My grandson Aidan and I have some important things in common.  The first is red boots.  I have red cowboy boots.  I really like them.  They are so comfortable.  And give me a good reason to wear red clothes.  Of course, they remind me of Texas.  I wear them when we serve Texas BBQ to our guests—and when I ride horses.Aidan has red boots too.  His are galoshes—and he wears them everywhere:  to ride his bike, to explore the backyard, to visit Jeedoo, even to church.  They look especially good with his red Spiderman outfit.Another thing we have in common is words. I love words, stories, grammar.  Aidan may not know he loves these same things, but he does.Aidan is 3 ½ .  Since he was 2 he has been surprising us with his vocabulary—dangerous, similar, pasture, suspense.  He loves to hear and tell stories, spinning preposterous tales of daring do.  But the truly amazing thing is he uses correct grammar.  This is most obvious when it comes to adverbs--he uses them appropriately.  He even corrects himself: “We did that so quick…I mean quickly.”I love all my grandchildren—immensely.  No favorites.  But there are special, endearing things about each one that I especially appreciate.  In Aidan’s case it is red boots and words.Jesus is crazy about you and me.  And He has this amazing plan to make each of us like Himself.  That’s a challenging job, requiring great patience and perseverance on His part and ours.But you know, sometimes I sort of get it.  When I learn to act more like Jesus-- to say “Thank You, Lord.” Or “Your will, not mine.”  When I begin to demonstrate unconditional love for someone who isn’t so lovable, when I give sacrificially, I am looking more like Jesus.I’m sure my growth in becoming like Jesus doesn’t make Him love me more.  And I have no illusions about how far from true Christlikeness I am.  But I bet He feels something special because we have something in common.Kind of makes me want to become more like Him.