Monday Memories....Suzy the Evangelist

Mr. Wonderful and I have never lived near any of our relatives. Consequently, childcare has always been an issue. As an RN, I usually could opt to work the evening or night shift so Mr. Wonderful was home with the children.

Before the children were school-aged I would work part-time on the 3 to 11 shift. Mr. Wonderful worked 9 to 5 so there were about 2 1/2 to 3 hours time gap. Our next-door neighbor had a daughter the same age as our girls so she would watch the children till Mr. Wonderful got home. This arrangement worked out really well for all of us until the day Suzy turned into an Evangelist.

The rule in our household was "if the children shouldn't be watching this, neither should we". We would frequently have to change the channel when inappropriate material would come on. I gave up my addiction to watching "soap operas" in favor of Sesame Street and The Electric Company. We encouraged the children to dialog with us why something was worth watching or why we shouldn't be watching it. Our girls were quite articulate and many times convicted us that we as adults shouldn't be watching particular shows.

My neighbor (Teresa) watched soap operas. Most of the time she would simply put on a children's movie while the kids played but this particular day was a high point in the drama and Teresa wanted to know if the hero and heroine would finally get together. The girls had been playing in another room so Teresa was startled when 2-year-old Suzy asked innocently, "Miss Teresa, why are those people in bed together?"

"Oh, she said, "they are playing pretend and are building a tent with the blankets and the covers, haven't you ever built a tent in your room?" Teresa answered casually.

That seemed to satisfy Suzy till clothing started being thrown out from under the covers.

"Miss Teresa, what are they doing now?" asked Suzy truly puzzled "Should we watching this?"
"I guess we shouldn't be," said Teresa, turning off the TV, embarrassed by the innocence of a child.

To add insult to injury Teresa's husband came home that afternoon and opened up a beer and sat down to watch TV. Steve was a big-hearted bear of a man and all the kids adored him. When Suzy saw Steve drinking a beer it broke her little evangelist heart and she timidly said, " What's that Mr. Steve?"

"Oh, this is beer", he said absently not paying any attention to the small child.

"Mr. Steve did you know that beer is bad for you and it makes Jesus very sad when you drink it?" said Suzy shaking her little finger in the big man's face.

Teresa whispered something to Steve who went outside to finish his beer. That was the last time Teresa watched the children for me.......she was apologetic but said it was too hard to have to set a good example in front of my children.

Isn't it a sad commentary when children have to remind us about "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable....think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)