No separation

Takato flew halfway around the world to spend his 30 days of summer vacation with our family. We met this 13-year-old Japanese boy through the Colorado 4-H exchange program.

Takato speaks a little English and we speak less Japanese. So the start of the trip home after meeting Takato was a little quiet as our 11-year-old son tried to start conversations. Takato would shake his head because he didn’t understand.

But before long, I heard growling from the back seat. Then roars and an odd exchange began. One would bark and the other would imitate. Then they’d giggle before starting a new round of noises.

I leaned over to my daughter, “They don’t need to know Japanese or English because they speak ‘boy.’”

They’ve had fake kick-boxing matches on the trampoline and I caught Takato sitting on the roof of our garage catching basketballs from Toby and dropping them through the hoop.

They speak boy.

Now you’re probably wondering how I’m going to give this some kind of spiritual twist. Me, too.

I think God delights in watching two boys, on the cusp of manhood, playing with noises and conquests. He designed them and enables them. I don’t want to live in a world that is divided between spiritual and material.

It’s all God’s world and we can enjoy it with him!

I'll live right there with them. I'll be their God! They'll be my people!

Ezek 37:27