We are all about the good guys getting the bad guys.
Police playmobil vehicles and figures litter the living room floor after a morning of rescuing, catching thieves and making sure danger has been averted. Everyone wants to be the good guy, and there’s definite disgruntlement if someone receives the ‘bad guy’ allocation for the current scenario.
Mysteries fill little ears during ‘quiet time’ as the latest Boxcar Children or Famous Five audiobook reverberates around the boys’ bedroom. Our bedtime story is often a made-up tale in which ingenious pint-sized spies (conveniently called Rufus and Billy) solve the problem, and make sure the bad guys end up behind bars.
Toys, stories and a whole lot of imagination which brings a world of adventure into our house through the play and friendship of our two little men. We love watching and listening as they adopt different voices and devise rescues and missions for the host of playmobil men that can be found nestling in every corner of the house.
The adventures took on a new dimension last week as we celebrated Rufus’ 5th birthday by throwing ourselves into an elaborate teddy bear hostage situation that needed a couple of police spies to solve the case. Suspects, looking suspiciously like disguised family members, were interviewed via video and challenges were completed after some rigorous training. Eventually, the teddy was rescued, the mystery was solved and birthday cake could be devoured. I’m still not sure whether Billy still thinks the ‘suspects’ are at large as I heard him regale Grandma with the story in which she was very much involved!
I love that their imaginations are so active, and I’m more than happy for police rescues and spy missions to be the adventures that grab their attention. And I’m glad they want to be the ‘good guys’ rather than the bad, as we most definitely want to raise a couple of good men.
Amidst the everyday realities of parenting little people, and wanting to train them in ‘good’ ways, we’ve been talking frequently with the boys about their hearts. The Bible discerns someone’s character according to their heart rather than the way they look, or even what they are doing. Happy hearts, grateful hearts, kind hearts, generous hearts, brave hearts…we’ve been teaching the the boys that it’s the heart that makes a ‘good guy’. It’s the heart that makes a hero. And that wonderfully God loves to do a work in our hearts. As we look at Jesus (the best guy), love that he’s our friend and pray to be more like him, hearts are changed and godly or ‘good’ character emerges. We’re praying that our boys would have hearts that love to be like Jesus, and so would be the best of guys as they go out into the world.
Boys, Books and the Home of the Brave 