Be my friend.

“Uncle please don’t get married!”

These words were told by a 13 year old boy to his 27 year old uncle. Six months before this, this boy had what the doctors agreed was a snake bite on his heel. He had a lot of pain during the process. When the Ambulance came, despite having a lot of pain, 13 year old Nathan sought for one thing, “Mom please let my Uncle come with me to the hospital”. His request was granted, not knowing why he would make such a demand as this.

On the way to the hospital, the pain became so intense for the little Nathan, but he kept crying one sentence that made every one’s eye get watery. He said, “Uncle please, take some of this pain from me, it’s too much”. The statement hit the uncle so bad, but he had no such power to do as his nephew asked. In his brokenness, he said to Nathan, “You know I love you so much. You know I’m more than hurt by what you are going through right now. And you know I will be by your side always…”. When he had spoken thus, he couldn’t hold his tears, because none of his words really could take away even a little pain from his Nephew.

As they approached the hospital, the pain grew worse, that the lad wished he had another leg. “Uncle please give me your leg”, the lad cried. The uncle looked at him and didn’t know what to say. He hugged his nephew, kissed him and just cried. There was nothing reasonable he could do.

Six months after this scenario, the two met again. The uncle saw Nathan looking stressed after Nathan knowing they would not have enough time for each other this time round. So, Nathan’s uncle decided to divert Nathan’s attention, “Hey, can I marry the lady across the street?”, he said to Nathan, but Nathan just gave a disapproval head signature. “what about the one next door?”, the uncle asked again. This time Nathan didn’t only give a disapproval head signature, but his eyes grew watery. “Are they not good ladies?”, the uncle asked. “It’s not that”, Nathan replied.

At this point, the uncle asked many questions but Nathan didn’t want to answer. When Nathan opened his mouth to speak, he said, “Uncle please don’t get married”. Boom! The uncle didn’t see that sentence coming. There was a moment of silence between the two for about two minutes. “why shouldn’t I get married?”, the uncle asked. “because when you get married, you won’t play with me anymore”, Nathan responded, “You won’t give me your time anymore. You won’t love me, uncle”. Wow! Both Nathan and his uncle lost words and wept.

Many people who are mature don’t tend to look at the need for spending time as the little ones desire. The mature people tend to prefer offering toys, and play materials to the kids, but forget to offer themselves as teammates to the little ones. They prefer getting a new tutor, but not being there for just the kids.

Like Nathan, most kids need time with the adults. They want to have kids as friends, but also adults. Not just to show up during vacation, or when the kids are in the hospital. Not just to present a toy as a birthday gift. Not just to show up during the evaluations of grade school reports. They need a friend, someone who can speak their language, who can race against them in a game, tease them. They need someone whom they feel love from, whom they feel secure with, whom they feel valued by.

Sadly, this is so hard to see in the 21st century, where people are so “busy”. It’s sad that people are so busy, but not so happy with their businesses.

Many people actually don’t like what they do, but the payment that comes there with. The family that ought to come second just after faith, turns to be something that is only remembered after all things are done. Sometimes I think if it were possible to hire another person to worship on one’s behalf, people would do.

What is the point of claiming to labor for kids, if they become deluded? If we think about what is good for our children, why not have time, real time just for them as part of the daily to do list? Why should we only offer them the remainder, when we can offer them the real deal?

For such reason as this, the children of Eli didn’t follow his footsteps. Eli was busy. Busy doing a priestly job to the Israelites. He even discipled Samuel, but forgot his own. By the time he was knowing that his kids had fallen, it was too late for him to help.

Things don’t have to turn worse when something can be done to help. The time to save the situation is now. How to save the situation is by allowing love to consume for the sake of the family. This will help the spouse, the kids, the neighbors, and the whole world. Why should we save the situation? Because it matters. Love cares for what is right. Love doesn’t rejoice in what saddens, but comforts the feeble.