A Game of Tag Like No Other

Two evenings ago I (Julie) was involved in a game of tag like none other I have ever played before! It wasn't unique due to the number of children involved (I think there were at least 8) nor due to any new rule or regulation. What was unique about it was the fact that those involved actually wanted to be caught, yet, being a game of tag, couldn't allow themselves to be caught because that would go against the very nature of the game! This proved to create a very interesting playing experience.

It all began with Miguel. Three nights ago, out of nowhere, Miguel declared at bedtime: "Don't you try and kiss me after turning off the lights!" Now, I never kiss the boys after turning out the lights. First we read a storybook...then the Bible story...then I pray with Caleb...then I kiss Caleb...then I pray with Miguel...then I kiss Miguel....THEN I turn off the lights...then I sing "Jesus Loves Me"....then I sing "Cristo Me Ama" ("Jesus Loves Me" in Spanish)...then I sing "El Sapo" ("The Frog"-a Spanish Christian children's song)...then I leave the room (At which time, every single night, Caleb says, "Mom?" "Yes, Caleb." "Will you come back to our room again?" "Yes, Caleb." "When?" "In ten minutes, Caleb." "OK, Mom. Good night." EVERY NIGHT!)

So, the deal is, I NEVER kiss the boys after turning out the lights. (Not that I'm against the idea, it just hasn't been our routine.) Therefore, Miguel's "request" to not be kissed after turning off the lights, was really a petition TO be kissed. So, I turned off the lights and made sure to kiss him, which of course he "tried" to prevent, but I prevailed and gave him the kiss.

So, the next night, after supper, Miguel comes up to me and says: "You can't kiss me." In other words, "Kiss me!" So, I took off after him, caught him (not too hard to do:-) and kissed him. Jocelin was watching and soon joined in the "You Can't Kiss Me (but I really want you to)" game of tag. After Jocelin we were joined by Caleb, Carolina, Ruth, Josiah, Fatima (who joined after awhile of standing on the fringes), Daniel and David (who never really got the hang of acting like he didn't want caught!).

The game went like this: the kids would run up to me, yell "You can't kiss me" and then "take off" running. They were all certain to run at a speed where it appeared they were trying to get away, but were quite easy to catch and kiss! When that didn't result in enough kisses, the strategy changed. One child would let him or herself get caught. The others would then all run to "rescue" that child by pulling on him or her. Of course, while they are pulling at the trapped child they are all within my arm's reach. All I would have to do was let go of the trapped child, who couldn't go anywhere anyway because he or she was surrounded by eight or so other children, reach out and grab another "victim". As soon as the rest of the kids realized that I had caught another "victim", they would all then try to "rescue" that person. I hope that I am explaining this well enough that you can imagine what this game of "tag" looked like! It resulted in very little running and basically became this ball of bodies flowing from one place to another as I kept kissing everybody I could reach!

I love kissing my kids, but my heart hurt for Miguel. If you study child development, there is an age in toddlerhood when kids will run up to their parents, tease them and then run away, wanting the parent to pursue and catch them. This running towards, running away and getting caught helps them realize that they are their own individual person, but that Mom or Dad will always be there and that they are safe. Miguel's need to do this with me revealed to me one of two things, either that he had never been safe enough to play this game when he was a toddler, or that our relationship is at about the stage of an 18 month old. While I am no expert, I have witnessed that kids need to go through all the necessary developmental stages, no matter how old they are. So, even though Miguel is 7, he needs to now live this stage of "toddlerhood" before we can move on.

While that particular game of tag ended after about a half an hour, the dance with Miguel has not. Every time he sees me, he comes up to me, lays his head on me and says: "You aren't going to kiss me!" So, of course, I kiss him! He "tries" to pull away, but never far enough that I wouldn't be able to reach him!

I know somebody else who has played some pretty crazy games of tag....myself with Jesus Christ! His Word tells us that: "the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10). There are so many times when Jesus has pursued me and sought to lavish His love on me - through His Word, His presence, through other individuals that are His instruments. Then, there are those times when I act like I don't want to get caught by Him - nuts, huh?! I know that the safest place is in His arms, but that means forgiving others and admitting my own sin and fault. That is just not fun, so I run away, only to be pursued by Him, or only to end up so lonely, that I myself go running back "hoping" to be caught by Him again! The beauty is, Jesus is always right there! In our little game of tag, whenever Miguel would run towards me...there I was! He was the one running away, it wasn't me!

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." I John 4:10

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." Proverbs 8:17

Now, that's what a call a divine game of tag! Wanna play?
I suggest letting yourself get caught!