Through Liam's Eyes | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Through Liam's Eyes | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jude Harris
04/26/18
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“What’s that Bella?” Two-year-old Liam asked from his car seat behind me.

I glanced in the mirror to see him pointing to the mountain range on the left of the highway. “It’s the Ko’olau Mountains,” I answered.

His eyes got big, “Amazing!”

I chuckled, surprised at his vocabulary and exuberance. I looked at the mountains again, this time through his eyes. Morning sun had cast dramatic shadows on the sharp, vertical ridges. When had I last truly wondered at God’s creation? “They ARE amazing Liam,” I replied.

“Bella! Look! What’s that?” he asked pointing out the other side of the window.

“That’s Diamond Head Crater. You can go inside and hike up to the top. Would you like to go there?”

“Yes! Please Bella, let’s go!” I was babysitting my godson that morning and heading to a park with a nice playground. Diamond Head was a state park, but had no swings or slides. Except for a small picnic area and the trail, there wasn’t much to entertain a two-year-old. What would a little fella do in there, I wondered.

“Bella. I LOVE Diamond Head Crater!” he added, emphasizing his desire. Not wanting to disappoint him, I turned into the entrance and headed up the winding incline.

At the lookout I pointed to the view. “Look! Liam! The Pacific Ocean!”

“Oh!” he said cranking his head to see the view. “Wow!”

“Now get ready! We’re going to go through a dark tunnel” Liam’s eyes got even bigger as the light turned to dark in the narrow, but short tunnel. We quickly exited and entered the saucer-shaped crater bathing under the tropical sun.

We walked by a big, open field on the way to the picnic area. To me it was uninteresting, but to Liam is was a place to run. “Let’s run Bella!” he called. He took off, arms pumping hard, darting around like a butterfly. I joined him, laughing. He was already having fun.

When he tuckered out, he found a stick and drug it in the dirt. Next he threw monkeypod seeds up in the air. He giggled as they fell back down. Catching his spirit, I pointed out a pretty leaf. “Liam, look at shape of this big leaf.” He studied it and then carried it with his stick as he hunted for more treasures.

“What’s this rock for?” He squatted to examine a rock that must have weighed more than he did.

“Someone put it there for decoration. It’s almost as big as you!” I told him. He tugged and pushed, trying to move it without success. “I’m strong!” he said, puffing his chest out proudly.

We made our way over to the trail that led to the top of the crater. He fell in with a group of teenage boys beginning the hike. “Let’s race them Bella!” He broke into a short sprint, tried to pass them and then ran back to me. “I can run fast!” he told me.

“Can I go in there?” he asked next, pointing to a forest of tall grass on the side of the path.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to go in there,” I told him. Undeterred, he bent down to play with some small stones at his feet. He picked them up and threw them as far as he could into the tall grass.

All morning I followed his sense of wonder. As we headed back to the car, I noticed a dime on the pavement. “Look! You’re rich!”

He bent over to pick up the coin. “Help me put it in my pocket, Bella.” He patted his pocket. “I’m rich!” You are rich, I thought, richer than most adults.

On the way home he said, “Bella, I LOVE Diamond Head Crater!”

“Liam never fussed or complained,” I told his mom when dropping him off. “He loves everything! He just loves life!”

“I know,” she laughed. “He even tells me how delicious his food is when I feed him!”

“I love you darling,” I told him with a hug goodbye.

“I love you darling,” he said.

That evening my husband and I were driving home at sunset. “Look at those rich reds tonight!” he said, pointing to the sky.

I gazed at the vibrant hues with new appreciation and said softly, “They’re amazing!”

Matthew 18:3 ESV
and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

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