For well over a year, my daughter and her family have lived in almost total isolation. They’ve had their food delivered, they haven’t visited people or had people visit them—they have simply stayed home. Caitlin used this time of being cut off from society to teach Brooks about God’s love and the wonderful world He has created for us. He’s learned hymns and Bible verses. He knows God loves him and he knows how much he needs to love God and others. This is the only life Brooks remembers. As more and more people get vaccinated or develop natural immunities, Caitlin is slowly starting to venture out. And every new thing Brooks sees fills him with wonder and excitement.
Before the pandemic, Brooks would say, “Hi!” to everyone they passed as Caitlin strolled around their neighborhood. He was mostly ignored because most were in their own little world—looking at their phones or talking on them. But it didn’t deter Brooks in the least, he’d turn around in his stroller and say to their retreating back, “Bye!”
He can’t remember interacting with people outside of his family, so the first time Caitlin took him to a park with lots of children he in was awe. Pondering the whole experience on the way home he told Caitlin, “Mama? I don’t know those kids, but I love them.”
When I was there, we visited the same park and Brooks approached every child he came upon with an enthusiastic wave,“Hi! My name is Brooks.”
Not one child acted like they even heard him. But Brooks wasn’t put off by it, he even smiled big as they ran away from him. He loves these rude little brats? Are you kidding me?
It breaks my heart knowing that Caitlin and Cam won't always be able to keep Brooks and Maisie under their wings, controlling everything they see and hear. To know that one day they will be forced to be in this fallen world, and experience the sadness of it along with with joy. But for now, I'll cherish every minute of their sweet innocence, soaking up as much of them as I can.
I thought Brooks first exposure to Target was so funny. Can you imagine not seeing anything but the walls of your own home for over a year and then going to Target?
Apparently, he didn’t say too much about it until Cam took him there, “Dada, you’re going to LOVE the inside of Target!”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we’d all emerged from this pandemic with gratitude for all the things we’d taken for granted? The simple freedom to go anywhere we want and be with anyone we want? To be able to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn?
I wonder what people living in third world countries thought of us when utter panic set in at the very idea that we might run out of enough soft paper to wipe our bottoms. I remember jokes being shared about using the yards of paper coupons that get spit out of the cash registers at CVS in place of toilet paper.
When did we stray so far from God’s commands to love each other and carry one another’s burdens? To “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave us?” (Ephesians 4:32) In some ways it’s been a slow fade, in other ways it’s been a terrifying plunge.
I pray for a spiritual revival, but our world is becoming more and more like the world Paul told Timothy it would look like in the last days: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money…abusive, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, brutal…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” 2 Timothy 3:2-3
Thinking about Caitlin's little family getting this window of time isolated from the world reminded me of how much I loved the "Little House in the Big Woods" books when I was little. I devoured them. Such an innocent time--Pa hunting for their food, Ma at home teaching reading and writing. Ending each night with Bible reading and prayer. I remember wanting to be Laura and live in the "Big Woods." I loved Ma and Pa.
It's hard to fathom it's been less than seventy-five years since children were taught to read using the Bible, that their day started out reciting The Lord's Prayer.
There are so many aspects of Caitlin and Cam's isolation from the world I wish they could freeze in time. A child's loss of innocence is so sad and today's world snatches it from them way too soon.
I believe one upshot of this pandemic was the forced homeschooling, allowing parents to oversee everything their child is being taught...could it be one step closer to reversing the plunge? I can only hope and pray it is, because no one wants to live in an unloving, brutal, lawless and ungrateful world and I believe only a new "Great Awakening" can change it.
