Making Friends

This week the 3 big kids are attending Vacation Bible School in Cashmere. It is a really fun VBS, that is put on primarily by a big church out of Seattle with help from several small churches in Cashmere...its a BIG FUN VBS!!! I love it!

Anyhow, last year when we were new to the community it was such a relief to have a big VBS in such a small little town. Everyone participated, everyone knew each other and our kids were starving for fellowship so it didn't matter if they knew no one! We all have such wonderful memories of it, which really made it a "no brainer" that we would be doing it again this year. The kids have been hyped about it, partly I admit, because I have been super hyped about it. Well, yesterday was the first day and it started off a little rough for Tage. This is the first time I can honestly say that I felt a sad, deep, yet understanding pain for Tage in my gut. As he is getting older I am realizing that he needs just a couple very close friends to pal around with, not a bunch of acquaintances he runs into here and there. I also think he may be realizing it too. That is why I think yesterday was so out of whack for him. He got in the car with sadness and said there are no friends for him. I realized that he is seven and has gotten situated in our new community, has a couple of close buddies which is really all he needs and desires. I put him into a major social setting and had not properly prepared him for the week...then I felt even worse. SOOO today I took him back to VBS and chatted with this REALLY cool high school aged guy that seemed to really have a way with all the kids and asked him to kind of help Tage join in and participate in the games and such. Success! I picked up a very happy boy today who told me he made two friends that were even boys!

My point is this, making friends is such an important part of life and God has given us all strengths in different areas. Tage is and will be the most loyal friend a person can have. He will not have a lot of friends but he will deeply care for and love the friends he has. In the mean time, we will work graciously at helping him be comfortable making friends in larger groups of unfamiliar people.