Levi & Gettysburg

For some reason over the past year, Levi has been fascinated by the movie "Gettysburg". I will come home from work and he will greet me with, "Daddy, I watched the Gettysburg movie without you today. Two times." On Tuesday and Thursday, Levi doesn't have school so he is home alone with Jodi. He will wake up and want to watch the movie. He will set up his "Gettysburg" army men and any other little action figure he can find and creat a battlefield in the living room. He plays army for the duration of the movie. It is amazing the details he remembers. He wants to take a trip to Gettysburg to see the cannon. I think I will take him this summer.

I came home one day and he had his cowboy hat on his head and his gun holster around his waist. I said, "Hey cowboy!" He stopped, looked at me and stated, "Daddy, I'm not a cowboy, I'm General Buford." General John Buford was the Federal cavalry officer who held off the Confederate army on the first day of the battle.

He said the other day that he watched the movie while I was working but only got to the part when they were in the trees. I wasn't sure which part he meant so he explained a little more plainly, "I got to the part where Colonel Chamberlain was running down the hill." The 20th Maine Regiment held Little Round Top on Day 2 of the battle.

I picked him up from baseball practice last week and was taking him to Anna Clair's school music program. Jodi had gone earlier and taken Anna Clair. On the way to the school I asked Levi if Jodi had fed them supper. He, without missing a beat, said, "Momma's trying to break me and Anna Clair by not feeding us. (Pause) We ain't broke yet." You may remember when the other Maine regiment was being brought to the 20th Maine, they were mutineers and the spokesman told Colonel Chamberlain that very line, "They are trying to break us by not feeding us..."

I am excited that Levi is expressing such an interest in something historical. I hope he continues this journey and lives his life looking back to history to help him live each day the best that he can. A thought, maybe I will try to get him interested in the history of golf. Then he and I can take a trip to St. Andrew's. Mmmm.

I am thankful that Levi has chosen things that he and I can do together. As close as we are now, sharing time doing things together (baseball, basketball, history, etc.) will solidify that relationship and allow it to flourish. As great as these things are and will be, I also enjoy the times spent in spiritual conversations with him now and I look forward to seeing his faith grow. The blessing is that for the Christian, all things are seen through spiritual eyes.