A few days ago, my little neighbor, who is nine, asked me if I knew how to make a cooty catcher.

Except… she didn’t say cooty catcher… she held up her hands and moved her fingers and asked me, “Do you know how to make one of these?”

It all started with a knock on my door... Inspiration for your day | Sunset and sandcastles at Lake Michigan - AnExtraordinaryDay.net

 

I confess… at first I wasn’t sure what she wanted…

And then I guessed, “Cooty catcher?”

I told her I did.  Though really I couldn’t quite remember… it has been a FEW years since I made one.

I knew I could do a quick Google search and my memory would be restored.

Next thing you know… I got out a piece of paper and whipped one up to give to her.  She was thrilled and flabbergasted all at the same time.  It was a win for sure.

I was really busy, so I didn’t have time to sit down with her and show her how to make one at that time.  I told her I would do that soon. But, in the meantime, she could study the one I made her and see if she could try to duplicate it.  You never know.

 

This morning she knocked on my door a little after 8 and wondered if I could teach her how to make a cooty catcher.  I had a slow start to my day and wasn’t ready to entertain guests, so I asked if she could come back later.  “10 o’clock?” she asked.  10 o’clock it would be. If her dad would give her permission to come into my house.

I got out the card table and chairs, paper, scissors, and made apple cinnamon tea, and put out napkins and cookies.

And then came the quick tapping on my door.

We sat down and I had her follow me each paper-folding step of the way.

I had a stack of paper available so she could get lots of practice. With only a little coaching, she remembered each step on her own.

 

When you're nine and somebody takes time to listen. INSPIRATION from AnExtraordinaryDay.net | Photo taken on Lake Michigan at sunset.

 

At nine, this was the first time she had tea and exclaimed… “This is REALLY good!”  She even mentioned my pretty dishes. So, of course, I told her the story.  And then I asked if she had a good story to tell.  And the conversation was off and running. Sometimes she forgot she was sitting at my table to learn how to fold cooty catchers.

In the midst of our conversation, she asked where I went to church.  (We had not talked about anything church related.) I described the location, asked her if she knew where that was, and then she asked, “Will you take me to church with you?”

When I was nine, the cooty catchers I made usually involved colors or numbers and questions and answers. I didn’t tell my little neighbor about that.  It seems that life hasn’t been all that kind in her nine years, so I wanted her to invent her own play.  I told her she could color the different sections and write little stories in the blanks. And then she wanted to know if we could play puppets with the cooty catchers.  And yes… we did.

After about 2 hours, her little brother came to get her and begged her for a cooty catcher.  She didn’t want to give him one.  But, I suggested that she give him one from her burgeoning bag… because he smashed a bug which terrified her.

Later in the day, I saw him with a cooty catcher, too.

 

Remember when you were nine? Who took an interest in you? Who took time for you? Inspiration for your day at AnExtraordinaryDay.net

 

Who knew what would become of that simple question, “Do you know how to make a cooty catcher?”

It’s easy to pass by kids… ruffle their hair… give them high fives and walk on… or brush them off in some other way.

You’ll never know where things might have gone if you’d taken the time to bend down and listen.

They just might invite themselves to go to church with you.  

 

The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”   Matthew 25:40

 

It's JoyDay! on the blog. Join us as we take time to count our thanks in community. It'll send your joy-meter soaring! At AnExtraordinaryDay.net

 

It’s JoyDay!

And time to get our joy meters soaring!

Please join me in thinking back over the past week and counting seven things for which you are thankful.  This simple exercise of counting and giving thanks is something we do each week to reset our compasses and put our eyes back on the Lord.

I’ll start…

Thank you, God for…

  1. a good interview.
  2. safe travels.
  3. your faithfulness.
  4. little girls who are strong enough to ask for help.
  5. the deer who regularly comes to munch on the foliage across the street.
  6. deep soaking rain.
  7. knowing you have plans for us… 

Now…it’s YOUR turn!

List your ‘seven’ in the ‘share your extraordinary thoughts’ section below.  You’ll be glad you did.

Thank you for stopping by and leaving your sweet thoughts.

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Comments

  1. Debbi Saunders says

    Thank You God for….
    1. Our Beautiful country and Freedom!
    2. My wonderful Son whom you Blessed us with 35 years ago!
    3. That my Brother’s biopsy results were normal!
    4. An unexpected lunch out with my Son…
    5. That I am feeling so much better from the sinus infection…
    6. That my medical tests were normal!
    7. For priceless Friendships!

    • My heart sings with yours, Debbi for all these blessings!!
      Trusting God for some very special things this week for both of us. {{hugs}}

  2. Gwen says

    I enjoyed this story very much. And if your journey was to be there for this one child, couldn’t you say,”Yes Lord. I can give that up if it means one child will get saved! One never knows!!! But I’m also encouraged by a good interview.
    No life is not better in fact some things grow worse but we say
    Thank you for the few flowers we have
    Thank you for the sound of crickets
    Thank you for the nice outing with Jenna Lat night
    Thank you for kind words Chrisrin called and said.
    I want to touch and see and be with Mom.

    • Thank you, Gwen! 🙂 Yes… that would make it ALL worth while!!!
      Thanks, too, for being excited with me for the good interview.
      Continuing to keep you and Curt in prayer. May God continue to lift you up and hold you close. {{hugs}}

  3. What a lovely story, Diane! Thank you so very much for sharing it. I know your little neighbor will remember your kindness for many years to come. hugs, mb

  4. Lynda says

    I thought you might like this one. http://familiar-little-frog.blogspot.com/2012/12/things-to-send-sponsored-children-bible.html?spref=pi It has cute Christian graphics.

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