This is Nicky.
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Nicky is a Guatemalan kindergartener. He’s the student that I had the opportunity to tutor. While I was being introduced to him, his teacher told me that I would have the task of helping him work on recognizing and writing the numbers 1-5. He could easily get 1, 2, and 3, but 4 and 5 just weren’t really happening yet. She also told me that he doesn’t really listen when he is told to do something and he is a “typical only child.” It was also his 6th birthday, so he was feeling special that day. I told him happy birthday, he grabbed his juice, and we headed upstairs.
The first thing Nicky did was spill his juice on the tile floor. Not really an abnormal occurrence for a 6 year-old. He smirked and walked away from the spill. I asked him to clean it up. He said “no.” I had him put his cup down in the room and led him back to the spill. He waited for me to go get the paper towel to clean it up, smirking the whole time. When I returned, I handed him a piece. We looked at each other, and he watched me as I bent down to clean it up. I wiped the towel across one part, and (after a short moment) he joined in. We quickly cleaned it up, high-fived, and made our way to the classroom.
We moved desks around into the most applicable formation, Nicky sat down for just a second, then got up and started wandering. I called his name. He turned his head, slightly, and made eye-contact as he smirked, once again. Mischievous. After a few more calls of his name, he came back to the table.
While we were working on our numbers, we could communicate, but not super easily. It took a lot of trial and error, decoding, and sometimes charades. It worked, but it was a little weird.
Throughout our lesson, Nicky would say the first number that came to mind. No matter what I pointed to, he would say “1… 2… 3… 4… 5…” until he arrived at the right number. I could tell he wasn’t really thinking about it. He was looking to my reaction to see if it was the right thing, rather than working to understand and what he knew to figure out the things he didn’t know. He wanted the answers quickly and easily.
As we got further and further along, I realized that I wasn’t helping him by making it easy and responding about every answer. I told him. “despacio, despacio.” (“slowly, slowly.”) Once he was able to slow down his thinking, and put aside his need for instant gratification, he was able to actually answer the questions I had for him. He stopped grabbing at any answer he could possible give until he magically landed on the right now. When he gave a correct answer that had been thought-through, I would cheer and smile and give him a high-five or occasional fist bump.
He was getting it. Slowly, but surely, he was getting it.
He stopped getting up to walk around, he stopped telling me no, and he started to actually listen. This boy who would just walk away at the beginning, helped clean up every part of our lesson at the end. He was different. We had an understanding and the beginning of a bond.
He isn’t a terror. He isn’t too much to handle. He is intelligent. He is a kid that needs to be affirmed and loved.
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I am a Nicky lookalike.
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I am a 26 year-old Gap Year Squad Leader. I’m the girl that God has an opportunity to work with. I recognize the basics of my relationship with Christ pretty easily, but I don’t always get the difficult parts. I don’t always listen to my Heavenly Father and I sometimes act like I have to be on my own. He tells me that he loves me anyway. Then, I grab my things, and I walk with him for a little while.
I make messes… a lot. It’s a normal occurrence for me. Sometimes, I laugh it off and say it’s okay. I say “no” when God tells me to clean them up, too, but I come around. I wait for God to prepare the things that I need. When those tools are ready, I work alongside him to complete the cleanup. It is an awesome thing to see my Father bend down and help me clean up something that He had no part in creating. I see His example and do it with Him. When the mess is gone, we move on together.
He prepares places for me, and I start wandering around. God calls my name, and I don’t always respond in the way that would be most beneficial. He calls my name again. I turn my head, acknowledge that He’s there, and look back to what I’m doing. I’m a little mischievous, but I always find myself coming back.
I communicate with God and it looks like a lot of trial and error, scavenger hunts, and sometimes spiritual charades. It’s always a little weird… in the best way.
When things are difficult and I’m unsure, I reach for anything I know to solve the problems. I know that I’ve found answers in the past, so I go through all of them in hyper-speed. I find myself praying, reading/studying the Bible, conversing with wise individuals, or I just end up in a general state of confusion. God says, “slow down, girl. relax.” I slow down, find new perspective, and gain an understanding of what my Father is actually trying to get me to comprehend. I lay down my need for instant gratification, and I actually find the answer I’m looking for.
I get it, slowly.
In the end, I am better off. I become a person that trusts more, sees more truth, and loves my Lord more deeply. We have an understanding.
I am not a terror. I am not too much to handle. I am intelligent. I am just a kid that needs to be affirmed and loved by her Heavenly Father.
