Always Paul

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12

Paul is an average 4th grade boy. He goes to school at George Washington Elementary School and his teacher is Mr. Miller. Paul likes reading books about other boys his age, doing the same kinds of things that Paul likes to do. The Diary of Wimpy Kid and Max Crumbly are some of his favorites. Paul also really enjoys art class. Mr. Miller makes it extra fun because each week they get to study a different famous artist and try to recreate famous works of art. Paul's favorite is Van Gogh and he has painted his own glorious version of Sunflowers.

Paul lives with his mom, dad and little sister, Mandy (short for Amanda). Paul loves his family and, although he would never admit it, his favorite time of each day is when they all sit down at the table and eat dinner together. His mom makes spaghetti or tacos or his very favorite, meatloaf. They always go around the table and share the “highs and lows'' of their day.

Mandy always goes first because she’s the youngest (and spoiled) and then it’s Paul’s turn. Then mom and finally dad. Usually, Paul talks about a book he is reading or an art project they did in Mr. Miller’s class for the “high”. Often, Paul’s “low” will be something like “I spilled my milk in the cafeteria and I got embarrassed,” but sometimes it can also be “Johnny Dillon called me a freak on the playground and told all the other kids not to play with me.” Paul’s parents are always quiet when everyone’s sharing their highs and lows, but aftward, they talk as a family about how they can respond to people who are unkind and how to always help when other people need it.

The most wonderful thing in the world to Paul, is soccer. Paul loves soccer. He watches soccer matches on television with his parents. He has posters on his bedroom walls of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Mia Hamm and Julie Ertz. The professional soccer players adorn Paul’s walls in spectacular jump-kicks and maneuvers. Paul plays the wing-back position on his community co-ed soccer team. His Uncle Dave is the assistant coach. Last year his team, the Diamond Backs, won seven games and lost five. Paul’s book shelf is topped with trophies and medals. Paul has books about soccer, soccer video games, he has soccer bed sheets and he even eats soccer themed cereal in the morning.

Something Paul doesn’t like is homework… and chores. As much as Paul likes Mr. Miller, it always makes Paul sad on Monday when Mr. Miller passes out the homework packets that are due Friday. It’s okay, though. The rest of the class groans about it as much as Paul, so he thinks it’s probably normal to not like homework. Paul has chores at home. His chores are to set the dinner-table three days a week, feed his dog, Marco (Mandy feeds the cat, Polo) and take out the garbage on Wednesdays. Wednesdays are the worst. Paul understands that in a family everyone contributes to doing things around the house, so he guesses it’s okay. He just wishes he could skip Wednesday.

Paul loves his sister, but she can get a little annoying, too. Mandy loves Paul, but she doesn’t love when he comes into her room and messes with her stuff. Mandy’s in first grade. Mandy keeps all her Garden-Fairy-Princess dolls lined up along her wall. They are in a certain order that only Mandy knows. Paul thinks it’s funny to sneak into her room and switch them around. But Mandy always finds out and hollers, “Mommmmm! Paul was in my room again!” and Mom always says, “Paul! Don’t go into your sister’s room without her permission.” Also, Mandy doesn’t like it when Paul calls her “Mamby-Pamby-Princess-Pants”. But Paul thinks it’s hilarious.

Paul can remember lots of things that he used to do when he was in first grade, like his sister. He loved to go outside and dig in the dirt. He would look for worms and bugs and frogs and snakes. Paul would find rocks and sticks and pretend they were cars and trucks. He would pretend he was a cowboy or a knight or a policeman and he would ride his bike up and down their road looking for “bad guys”. Paul never liked Garden-Fairy-Princess dolls like Mandy.

Paul figures he has a pretty good life and a pretty good family. He likes his school and his teacher. Paul also has a few good friends like Gavin and Tucker. They like to play wall-ball and tetherball with Paul in the school-yard and they play video games together on the weekends.

There was really only one thing in Paul’s life that isn’t perfect; he hadn’t always been called Paul.

His mom and dad and sister hadn’t always known who he really was. When Paul was born, everyone was confused as to who Paul was. For many years, Paul was called Pearl. Paul always knew he wasn’t Pearl and for a while he didn’t mind being called by the wrong name, but one day, he was playing in the dirt in the backyard and his mom said through the open back-door, “Okay, Pearl, honey, it’s time to eat lunch.” Paul sat there. He wasn’t Pearl. “Pearl, honey, time to come in.” Paul wasn’t Pearl. His mom wasn’t talking to him when she called him Pearl, so he decided he didn’t need to answer when she called him the wrong name. Finally, mom came outside and knelt down next to Paul. “I’m not Pearl.” He said to her matter-of-factly. Mom had a sad expression on her face, but she kissed the top of his head and looked into Paul’s eyes. Then Mom smiled the biggest smile. “I know,” Mom said. “Let’s go in and wash your hands and then you can eat your lunch.” Paul smiled back and went inside with his mom... Because the thing is, there had never been a Pearl, there had always been a Paul.

****

This is a true story. I know Paul. I felt like I had to tell Paul’s story because sometimes we need others to be our voice. God loves Paul. You may think that sounds strange. But Paul is God’s beloved child. There is so much going on with Paul, just like with each of us, and God loves him… Just like he loves you and me.

What an awesome job it must be for God to love all of his children well. He does what we can’t. He does what is impossible for us as humans. He loves others well.

I pray that you will love Paul, too. And if you never meet him then I pray that you will love any of the thousands of others who are like him. He is another human being who is navigating the planet... And... I pray that Paul will love you even if you don’t understand him. After all, I’m sure he will have trouble understanding things about you, too. It’s so hard to be a kid in 2020. It’s so hard to be a kid, period. It’s so hard to be a human in 2020. It’s hard to be a human, period. The best practice to make it easier is to love one another.

*Paul and his family’s names have been changed here, because they are so wonderful that I know that if I gave you their real names y’all would run right over to their house and become their new best friends… which would be okay, I guess, but they might not have enough spaghetti or tacos on hand to feed you all.