Did you ever read Psalm 133 (about unity between brothers being like oil poured over the head and beard and to the edges of the robe) and think, "Ewwww. Who would want that?" ;-)
While it may be true that culturally, we can't quite relate to the significance of oil on the head or the desire to be anointed in such a way, think of how we do use oil. How about the way it keeps machines going and helps gears mesh without too much friction or overheating?
In our family, the oil of brotherly unity keeps our wheels turning, and that oil is made up in large part of fun and laughter. The family that laughs together stays together, right?
When I watch Tobin playing "chase me" and "peekaboo" with Shav around the couch, I feel the oil refreshing me.
When I see an impromptu concert with my three oldest sons, and no one gets mad at each other or tells their brothers to stop interrupting them, it's oil on my head.
When Tobin wants the stage and I see an older brother hovering in the background, but the older brother doesn't demand attention or do anything to antagonize Tobin, I think, "Well, we're making progress!" The oil washes over me.
When I watch them, on another occasion, having so much fun together, instead of being The Sandpaper Boys who rub each other the wrong way, I sense more oil being poured out.
When Josiah and David decide to empty the block box so they can both fit inside and I hear their joy, the oil flows again.
Off-topic here, but did you notice in that last video how Shav was cruising around so well with his walker? Isn't he amazing? :)
He is doing GREAT with walking when holding on to something, but do you think that boy likes to be enticed and encouraged to take a step alone?
Not at all.
But it will happen. One of these days, he'll let go and launch out and discover that he possesses the power to walk. And the delight which will flow from my little band of boys to their littlest brother will be like oil on my head, like oil in the cogs as our life as a family swirls around.
5 comments:
Amanda will love to see the videos in the morning! My new thought about the oil on the head? Maybe we can't relate because we're white. After baths, I oil my little brown skin beauties from head to toe.
I liked your anology too! :)
we studied that specific Psalm just a couple weeks ago in our Beth Moore study, and it's now one of my faves.
Sarah-Anne
I loved all the video clips, but the last one is my favorite!!
Since you have late crawlers (or scooters) and walkers, I wanted to ask you about a theory I have. Susannah is 9 months and not anywhere near crawling (she doesn't even get up on her hands and knees yet). She's either on her tummy scooting backwards or in circles (never goes forwards) or sitting on the floor (or in her walker or Johnny Jump-up). I'm thinking that always being on either hardwood floor or tile floor, and no carpet, might not let then get enough traction/grip. It's just an idea I had the other day, and I thought "hmm, I've never seen carpet in Davene's pictures, I wonder if it might be true?"
Oh, and Daniel and I are not one bit concerned that she's not crawling yet.
Katie, you know, I never thought about how whites don't oil themselves regularly but some other ethnicities do. I remember our friends Robert and Liberty who visited recently and how they "anointed" their kids (who are biracial): hair, skin, etc. I'm really glad you mentioned that! :)
And Miriam, I think there might be something to your theory. Jeff has said something similar to me before, wondering if perhaps our bare floors delay Shav's progress. Not only is it difficult to get sufficient traction, but the floors are hard, and falls hurt...so maybe Shav is more cautious (slow) because of that.
Shall we do a scientific study? :)
I do think it might be a factor, but here are some other factors that might be contributors (to my boys' late development...I'm not referring to Susannah). :)
1. we swaddled Josiah when he slept for the first months of his life...maybe four or five months?...when his development was delayed, we thought maybe that was a big mistake we made...I don't worry about it now :)
2. Jeff didn't walk until 18 months, so my boys get it naturally, I guess!
3. Josiah was diagnosed with hypotonia (low muscle tone) which contributed to his slowness in developing large motor skills...he grew out of it with no major intervention needed...we never had the other boys officially checked so I don't know if they would have received the same diagnosis or not, but it wouldn't have surprised me
4. I haven't been great about pushing tummy time...that's not something that my boys have enjoyed, so it was easy to let it slide...I suppose I should have been more consistent with it...but oh well...that's just another of my shortcomings as a mom!
5. similarly, my boys spent time in swings, or bouncy seats, or Bumbos, or Johnny Jump-ups, or things like that, where they were confined and not just laying on the floor...of course, sometimes they were just laying on the floor!...but because they enjoyed being upright in those contraptions I mentioned, I let them spend more time in those than some people would, I guess
Well, those are all my random thoughts about that. :)
But I do think you have a good point; and even now, as I see Shav occasionally getting in the traditional crawling position, I realize how hard he has to work to keep from slipping on the smooth floors.
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