meeting people

The kids had orientation at school last night. JD and Clara really wanted to take Moses so they could introduce him to their friends.

It was pretty crazy. Moses was tired because he’s still recuperating from jet lag, and he was also overwhelmed with all of the excitement. So many people have been praying for him, it was beautiful to see all the rush to meet him. I so wish he had the capacity to understand the love behind the joyful swarm of faces that were so new to him. But he’s only been on the ground a few days here, and I think he just wasn’t sure what to do with it all.

He didn’t understand the language, the body mannerisms, or the hustle and bustle of attention all focused on him. This is a child who has normally had to share one adult's attention with a ton of other kids, so having a whole bunch of adults interested him at once is very new. He’s never had that experience of being taken places and “fussed over” by doting grandparents, friends, etc.

He wasn’t really “bad”, he was just overwhelmed. He was arching his back, avoiding eye contact, wiggling, and generally not sure what to do with himself. I finally took him out to the playground to just give him some room. Then, some people who wanted to meet him came out there. That was a MUCH better dynamic than asking a tired three-year-old to be quiet in a crowded hallway.

SOOOO, if I had last night to do over again (for those of you who are going to face similar situations soon) I would have started out by finding a safe place like the playground where Moses could just play while people met him.

Now, I need to think through how to apply all this on Sunday morning. I know a lot of folks will be eager to see him then, too...

Hmmm...