This weekend I had my Lay Academy class for Christian education. There were several interesting observations from the weekend that I could talk about, but the neatest by far was a young lady named Bailey. She was at the class with her mom. She quietly sat at the table with her mom and was polite and non-intrusive.

She joined in our activities where it was appropriate for her to do so, but she mostly read her book and did some writing. She shared one of her writings with the instructor of our class and she gave the instructor permission to share it with the rest of us. What she wrote had all of us sitting slack jawed. She permitted me to copy the writing. These were her observations of the two hours of our class on Friday night and viewing this piece of artwork by Joy Troyer called “Layers II”.

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Today I’ve learned so much. I know when you plant a seed it grows, just like love. I know that branches sway in the wind just as you would give a hug. I know water flows away just like life. I know that roots go deep just like challenges. I know that trees die just as we will. I know when a leaf falls, it’s just like your spirit lifting up to God. I know roots spread just like you get more loving family. I know fire goes as hate comes and goes. I know a rock stays just as you hold a grudge that needs to be let go. I know that the sun shines just as you do.

Can you see why we were blown away by this young woman? Oh, I forgot to mention something fairly significant about this story. Actually, I left it out intentionally. Bailey is only nine years old. You read that right. Nine.

She is a remarkable young woman, and wise beyond her years. I spent some time talking with her and she continued to amaze me. She reads at an eighth grade level. She struggles to find books that challenge her, and at the same time are age appropriate. What further amazed me was when I realized that she is the same age as the kids I teach in Sunday school. I can not imagine any of them writing something this amazing.

As a foster or adoptive parent, one thing that stood out to me in this writing was a concept that she has so fully grasped, that our kids many never get.

“I know roots spread just like you get more loving family.”

This is not a familiar concept for our kids. Getting more loving family is not an option. Being shuffled from family to family and not allowing yourself to love is more of what they are accustomed to.

I wish that Bailey could meet our kids and share some of her incredible wisdom and insight with them.

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