Six Glorious Minutes

I took this picture of Wyatt for the boys in the background.

We've been in an extra-challenging season, learning to new sides of Benjamin's PDA profile of autism. I've been posting brotherly bonds and family adventures as a banner over us. We're still doing the things that matter. We choose these moments to mark us.

The outings happen in 45 minutes bursts, and it takes us 3x as long to prepare and recover from them. We've been seemingly more adventurous lately because we've had to find a way to be around fewer people and wider spaces in an over-populated city during a school holiday. My bucket of "all I have to give" emptied AND got a hole in it. But there are people praying, and a God who sees us.

I headed straight to Kirstenbosch Gardens when I picked Benjamin up from school today. He had a meltdown about it in the car. There was a hostage negotiation sequence that involved me offering him Pringles, and a few threats I will not admit to the Internet. But we made it in.

God's creation wrapped us up in His perfect peace. It's always worth it when we get there.

My nerves jumped into high alert when a stranger boy entered the one, teeny speck of earth we'd claimed. I felt Benjamin tense, and I thought it would be the end of our regulated paradise. Someway, somehow, when that stranger boy asked Benjamin if he wanted to play, HE SAID YES. Stranger boy let Benjamin choose which of his three Godzilla toys he wanted to play with. Like a fresh breath from heaven, I witnessed SIX GLORIOUS MINUTES of running, playing, laughing, Godzilla'ing like this is what we do.

Six minutes is like a half a life after these last few weeks. (Thankfully stranger boy had to leave before Benjamin ran out of steam 37 seconds later.) Jam felt it too. Six free minutes. Six minutes of connection, safety, and being a 4-year-old boy in a rugby kit, playing Godzilla.

This is our six minute banner. This is our holy ground. What is yours this week?