Our 11-Year-Old Reuben

Eleven years. It's been 11 years since Reuben made his incredible and blessed entrance into the world outside the womb and it's been such a blessed life since then.

Reuben is such an easy-going, laid back young man and brings a sense of calm to our full house. He loves to help, loves to watch, loves to make people smile. He longs to see peace around him, to do well and have others do well also. God has blessed Reuben with a natural desire to do what is right and in that is often the first to correct a younger one when he sees them not doing what he knows is the right things. He can be such an encourager and an example and it is a blessing to see this as a natural bent in him. It helps tremendously when there are little ones going many ways as he can guide the ones that are near him. 

And Reuben loves to do this! He absolutely adores the little ones. He's the first to offer to change the baby's diaper (or do it without being asked if he picks him up and realizes it needs to be done). He reads stories to the youngest ones, plays with them and makes sure they are safe. He is a good protector and hates to see people hurt. He defends fearlessly those that are smaller or weaker, which is an incredible gift. Whenever speaking to a younger one, Reuben teaches and explains. He does an amazing job reaching down to them where they are. 

Reuben is strong. His nickname is Muscles and is called this often. He carries large loads, even now, fixes things easily and problem solves many tasks with his strong mind. If we need help with anything, Reuben is right there lifting the load in anyway he can. He's very handy with tools, fixing maintenance things around the house, taking things apart and putting them back together. Recently, he's been evaluating some of our devices that aren't working properly to see if he can figure out how to fix them. He loves the puzzle and to tinker, even if he's unable to fully fix the problem. He's not afraid to try and is learning much along the way. He also enjoys exercising and exercises with us intentionally twice a week to grow his strength and to show us how flexible he is and we're not. It is such a blessed time of doing life together!

Not only does he love puzzles and tinkering, but Reuben is an amazing artist. His most recent projects include making duplicates of pages from books and you can barely tell the difference! He has an amazing eye for catching the details and making the replicas that most others would have to trace and it still would look vastly different. Not Reuben! God has given him the incredible ability to see and draw it out on paper. It is exciting to see how his skill will grow and how God will use this artistic ability.

This year Reuben has grown as a reader and has read The Hobbit and started The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, along with many other books we have around the house. He's growing in writing as well and all of his studies. He just loves to learn. Recently he's been learning Biblical history, Composition of Fables, Latin, Geography, Astronomy and Math. It's amazing to watch him learn.

As much as he loves people, Reuben is a quiet observer. He's a young man of few words, but is thoughtful and funny when he does speak. He watches what's going on around him and takes it all in, processing internally, then sharing as he figures things out. He can be around people or alone and thrive. He does appreciate it when people know his name and looks him in the eye as well as a hug from people he knows. 

Reuben is such a precious blessing and we're so grateful God gave him to us and our family and that we get to live life with him!

Father, we thank You for the precious gift of Reuben and what he means to our family. Thank You for his sweet spirit and the qualities you have given him as an image bearer in his kindness, sense of justice, creativity and strength. We pray that You will give Reuben your heart and save him by Your amazing grace. Show him that all of these amazing qualities come from You and Your grace so that he might bring you glory. Continue to grow Reuben as a young man in wisdom and stature and may he find favor with you and man. Thank You for all You have done and continue to do in his life. Make him into a man after Your own heart. We pray this in Jesus's Name, Amen!