Super-Aunt

One of my favorite Bible characters, ever since I was a little girl, was Princess Jehosheba. She was the daughter of King Jehoram and half-sister of King Ahaziah in Judah, likely married to the High Priest, so we’re talking about someone who potentially had some influence. At the very least she was well connected. But everything I could say about her is circumspect because we really only know of one action she took. 

When King Ahaziah died in battle, his mother Athaliah made a mad grab for the throne by killing off the entire royal family (2 Kings 11). Enter Jehosheba, who grabbed her brother’s infant son, her nephew Joash, and successfully hid him in a room until the rampage was over. She and the High Priest managed to sneak him into the house of the Lord where he lived under his aunt’s secret care for six years while his evil grandmother reigned over Judah. Eventually they brought him out of hiding and launched a campaign for his rightful claim to the throne, which he won, and Joash becomes Judah’s youngest king. Lovingly, he is known as the ruler who repairs the Temple, which had been his earliest home after all. 

However, there’s no further mention of Scripture’s favorite super-aunt, the kind of auntie I long to be when I think of my 5 nieces and lone nephew. In what ways can I go to task for them and advocate for their growth and security and walk with the Lord? I had a blast last week with my 4 nieces who were here, taking them to an amusement park and the pool and on ice cream dates. And yet, it was the evening conversations that I will cherish the most, the questions of where we saw beauty and kindness that day, the comparisons to other stories we were reminded of, the snuggles on the couch (until I got too hot and had to tickle them off). The nieces were indeed the bright spot of my summer, not because I got to be an auntie -- though I loved that -- but because it reminded me that every moment of care expended on a kid can be a way to honor the Lord. A good summer message as we gear up for another school year.

Super-nieces

Art Surprise!

It was already something I was looking forward to - getting to see the Sistine Chapel - and I was even willing to endure the 90+ degree heat to do it, but when I was handed the entrance ticket, my heart jumped into my throat. The image decorating the backside of the ticket wasn’t the Michelangelo scene of Creation, as I would’ve most suspected. Rather, it was two figures whom I instantly recognized as Plato and Aristotle from the School of Athens painting by Rafael. I’ve used this painting every year in teaching History 8 to introduce Renaissance style, and I knew it was in the Vatican, but I was sure it required a special ticket, and we had barely secured these at the last minute.

I pointed it out to my brother and family, but we had no certainty whether this was a clue that we’d see the Rafael on our tour. So, with a smidge of hope, we joined the long line of ants shuffling from room to room, following the signs toward the Sistine Chapel. It took close to an hour, but finally my hope seemed to be approaching reality when we entered the first of three “rooms of Rafael.” Fiona smiled and I clapped my hands with glee while my nieces all asked “What’s so special?!”

Even while I pointed out arches and blue sky and facial features and characters and the self-portrait, I marveled myself at the vibrancy of the colors and the knowledge of muscles and the foresight Rafael must have had before the first brush stroke. He's staring out at is, daring us to criticize, and I have to wonder if he knew this would be the room and this the wall that would most draw the eye. Megan was quick to name the Greek god statues, and Olivia knew extra facts about them. The younger girls distracting themselves, creating stories about the lone woman (Hypatia). I’m no artist and have only stuck my baby toe into art appreciation, but I was exceedingly aware of what an unexpected gift this moment was.

just a tad giddy