Blueberries

“I HATE being the Blueberries!” John whined from the back seat.  It’s late, and we are on the way back from Vacation Church School.  The car is dark, and the four of us — our little pack — are gathered and tired.

VCS is running all week in the evening, and I’m one of the shepherds for John’s group.  In the past we’ve been given cool names, like the Lions or the Donkeys.  Lions can ROAR!  But this year we were given colors. So today we decided the groups needed names.  Adam and Rosie’s group, the Red Group, became the Red Wigglers.  Very cool for a bunch of four and five-year-olds.  Adam made that decision, which was probably the way to go. But I let our group create the ideas and vote on a name.  Big mistake (in retrospect) for a group where there are lots more girls than boys.

The name the Blueberries beat the Blue Saints 8 to 7.  That included kids and shepherds.  So Blueberries it is.  Back to our trip home….

“I just can’t STAND that name.  Can’t we change it?  The blue peeps?  The blue anything but Blueberries!”

“I can see why you feel that way. That’s not such a great name,” I say to John.  Turning to Adam beside me in the front seat I explain, “Problem is there are only three boys.  Then there are ten girls in our group, so it was a tough situation.”

“Yeah.  Girls! Ugh. That’s the problem.  Mom, can’t we change it?”

“John, I’m sorry.  I can’t change it.  But I see the problem.  I just won’t use a name, ok?  I’ll just say, ‘Let’s go guys….’”

“Uuuhhhh.“ You would think the world was ending.

Adam has his feet on the dash.  “Blueberries. “  He says slowly.  ” They are sweet.  Not so bad John.  They’re round.  Delicate.  You can squeeze them.  You can eat them.  Or crush them.  <pause> Yeah, very girl.”

“All those girls.  MMMMmmmmmoooooommmm, you have to change it.”

“John, I know it’s a hassle to have all those girls around now, but believe it or not, a day will come when you will love this situation.”

“Never!”

Adam chimes in, “Yep, someday, John, ten to three will get your attention.”

“No way, I just won’t ever let that happen to me.”

Adam continues,  “No, John, you will. You, or something within you, will let that happen.”

“John, that seems impossible doesn’t it?” I say.  “You ought to try to remember this moment, like with Cam Jansen, say ‘click.’  And remember how you feel right now.”

John almost shouts, “It doesn’t happen to everybody.  I will NEVER like girls!  Blueberries.  Ugh.  Never!  I just won’t ever allow that to happen to me.”

Rosie seems to wake up.  She chimes in for the first time, shouting as loud as she can, “It’s not up to you.  God is going to do it to you!  It’ll just happen!”

Adam continues in his dry humor, half to himself, half to John…..”Yeah, John, I’m just going to tell you now, that someday, it will happen to you.  It will be a powerful force, one that speaks to you from deep inside, one that will rival and perhaps extinguish all other thoughts.  With a kind of relentlessness. A berry, yes. Something that will tell you that each girl is delicious – like a berry.  You’ll decide, ah, that’s juicy.”

I give him a sideways look and quietly say, “Adam…..”

Silence from the back seat.

“Mom, how about the Blue People?”

This was how we arrived at church at 6pm last night…..two sleepers and one wired!  Pretty true to character for all involved:-)