A heart like Tyler

My children are all equally special to me. Kristen is my first-born and only girl. Bryce is my clingy and needing-much-love- child. Judson is my baby who carried me through such a dark time. But then there is Tyler. I used to worry that he would have the “middle child lost in the shuffle” syndrome. He is such an easy going kid--has been since he was born. He rarely makes trouble for anyone, and can sometimes be quite a wall flower. But as Tyler grows, I am seeing more and more what an incredible kid he really is. A couple of years ago, it was the joke amongst moms at my church that they wanted to clone Tyler. This was the beginning of me being able to see just what a kind of kid he really is.

I can remember one time during the first winter that I was a single mom. A man in the church had just taken care of plowing our snow, and Tyler came into the kitchen and handed him a few pennies and said thank you for taking care of us. I about burst into tears right there!!! The man took them, then later snuck them back to me. Tyler has said since kindergarten that he wants to be a preacher when he grows up. He is now in third grade and that has not changed. You can not know Tyler for very long without seeing his incredibly caring heart. He will do anything for you. He will do anything you ask of him, and he will do it with a happy heart. Ty has never been one for much physical showing of affection. Hugs and kisses came far and few between when he was young. But do not be deceived: there is a fierce loyalty within him that can not be shaken. He is unshakably tight with Kristen, and looks out for his brothers as well. Oh, don’t get me wrong, he is not perfect. Yes, he fights with his brothers; but at the end of the day, he would give anything for them.

The thing that makes Tyler so incredible, though, is his love for God. His prayers each night are so special. He prays for others and he prays for himself. I love that he prays each night for him “to always follow You, Lord.” He recently has begun to really read the Bible for himself. He asked me one night how many gems (that is our reward system) he would get for reading an entire book of the Bible. I dismissed him with a wave and said we would talk about that when it happened. The next morning he came down with bleary eyes, snuggled up with me, and said, “Mom, I read I,II, and III John, but I fell asleep in Jude. Can I have a big gem for that?” To say the least, I was shocked that an eight year old could read so much in one night. As the weeks have gone on, we have had many talks about what a certain passage means. This is how I know he is really reading it! I had to direct him out of Revelation, as that was scaring him and very difficult for me to explain. Really, Revelation is hard for adults to understand let alone a child!!!!

Tyler also has an incredible laugh. His kindergarten teacher gave him as a graduation present a stuffed turtle that laughs. He still has it, and I recently put it away so we can keep it nice. She said the turtle laughs just like he does. She is so right! I heard that laugh so clearly two nights ago as I was talking to him on the phone. Kristen did something that made him laugh, and this incredible giggle just broke out. It is the kind of laugh that no matter what mood you are in, you can not help but laugh with him.

Tyler was a joy as a baby, but as he grows, he is even more of a blessing. I really can’t wait to see what kind of a man he will grow into, and if he continues on this path, he will make some girl out there one great husband!