Nicolas is eight years old has been losing his teeth. Right after we first returned back from the states Nicolas lost a tooth and asked if the tooth fairy would be making any trips to the Dominican Republic. Troy and Alex, the big brothers who were experienced in these things quickly informed him that the tooth fairy did not work in the DR. Instead here in the DR they have a Rat named Perez.
The story goes that this rat lived in a dentist office and learned dentistry and would help his fellow rats with their tooth problems. When the older mice would lose their teeth Perez found that the best replacement was a child’s baby teeth. So he would go looking for these teeth under the children’s pillow at night and left a gift in exchange for the child’s tooth.
Nicolas listened to the story intently with great interest, so I thought for sure that he would leave his tooth in his bed. But I found that his tooth was nowhere near his bed. He left the tooth in my bathroom. The next day I asked Nicolas why he left his tooth in my bathroom. After all, the Ratoncito Perez would never think to look there.
To which Nicolas replied, “C”mon mom, would YOU want a rat climbing in your bed at night? I don’t think so.”
We laughed and he said “Don’t laugh, For real, mom. I don’t want any rats in my bed.”
He has every reason in the world to worry about rats in the bed. We’ve killed a few rats at our house. Holly, our miniature dachshund, even killed one. So its not like its all that far fetched. Yet, at the same time I marvel at the faith of childhood.
Children don’t question, they just believe. They believe that tooth rats could come in your bed, easter bunnies hide eggs, Santa brings presents with or without a chimney and Jesus really does hear our prayers and He really is coming soon. The difference is that tooth rats and Santa are fun but not real. Yet that kind of faith placed in the person of Jesus, God’s Son can really make a difference in this world!
I just keep thinking that we must tap into this kind of faith! I want Nicolas to pray and believe God to work supernaturally in our everyday lives. So I have been asking Nicolas to pray more often as we live in a country that needs to see a faith that really does move mountains.
As for the tooth, we’re keeping it to remind us that childlike faith is real and I should be ready for some mountain moving when my children pray.
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