Children Are No Mere Mortals

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.”    – C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

This has always been one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes, but it’s hard to keep at the forefront of my mind. Last night I was imagining what the world, and my life, would be like in 5 years, and my thoughts naturally turned toward my students. In 5 years they’ll be 6 or 7, in first grade. What about 25 years? They’ll be my age!

I try to imagine what they’ll look like, how their voices will have changed, all the new words they will have learned in the course of their education. I watch them and listen to them and am awestruck at the possibilities for their futures. I think about them writing college papers and going on honeymoons and bringing their own children to little preschools. What a trip!

I wonder if they'll still be obsessed with "chicken nuggets," or if they'll play the same games with their children that they play with me now, or if they'll remember me. I wonder how they'll fare in their relationships (if they'll ever learn to share! haha), what kind of jobs they'll have... I picture them sitting behind the wheel of a car! I wonder if they will be so busy in their lives that they'll never have time again to go on "lizard hunts" anymore, or notice the different colored trucks driving by.

I think about the heartaches they'll experience, the difficulties they'll go through. I wonder if they'll remember what they learned about God, if they will retain their simple childish faith. I pray that they grow up to have lives enriched by their Creator and love that only He can provide. 

  

There is just so much potential, so much hope. These little people are made in the image of God. They've only been on this earth for 1 or 2 years, but God has known about them forever! He ordained every moment of their lives, and He loves them. He has placed me in the teaching role that I'm in for a reason - maybe for me to teach them something, or maybe for me to learn something from them.

In any case, these children are not just cute kids who are fun to dress up, read to, and paint with; whose diapers I have to change, whose lunches I set out, whose backs I rub at naptime. They are so much more. They are eternal beings with souls and characters and personalities, intricately designed and capable of great things. Every interaction we have together is a divine appointment. What am I doing with it?