My husband and I have birthdays in December 8 days apart. As you can imagine, our birthdays sometimes get combined with Christmas celebrations or downplayed in the busy season. Which actually, is totally fine. We are both approaching a new decade milestone and don't mind if the birthday gets overlooked in the hub bub of Christmas.
As I was discussing with my husband his list of needs and wants, he came up with the most brilliant idea of all time. "How about the kids with you parents for a whole weekend? No money spent on their part and pure bliss for us." Uh, yes. Why didn't I think of that?
Thankfully, I have a mother that has a heart for service and a step dad that is laid back and agreeable to most anything. Even to four kids invading his home Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Pretty agreeable, huh? He'll have them collect an endless supply of black walnuts that litter their property and rake leaves and pick up rocks and move them to another location. And, he'll pay them for their efforts. Mom will bake cookies, set-up movie nights, and allow them to jump in the raked leaves. Memory making will abound.
Mario and I on the other hand feel like we have been given the moon on a velvet cord. How can we possibly make the most of our time? Go out of town on our very tiny budget or stay home and work on projects that are crowding our closets and attics? Sleep late and go out for brunch or get up early and eat at Bill Smith's Cafe with the regulars? Oh, the opportunities are endless. What a gift we have been given.
Speaking of gifts, what could be better than the gift of our time? Time does not influence our Christmas gift budgets but does influence those we serve. Time given to others leaves a lasting impression on our own hearts. Time donated teaches our children the value of "others first, self second". Time offered is a gift that can be reopened again and again as the recipient of your sacrifice relives it in his mind.
And greatest of all, time we give of ourselves to benefit others and nothing of ourselves, glorifies God. And what else should we be doing other than glorifying Him that created time and everything in it, around it, and through it?
Thank you Mom and Avery for giving your time for The Best Birthday Present of All Time. Time with my husband. Alone.
Yippy Skippy!
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Saturday, July 07, 2012
A Man Leaves
A man slings his pack over his left shoulder, smiles and waves. He says goodbye with an already-homesick look on his face. He tosses his camo bags in the truck and composes himself as he turns for a last look at me, the house, his home. It's not my husband leaving. He's my son.
My son was returning to Afghanistan. No longer as a young man with mature ideals one moment only to react with teenage-type silliness the next. No, he was to return to war different than the last time he left our home. He had become an Adult with a capital A.
His two week visit home was a gift from God for my husband and I. The Lord gave us the opportunity to see firsthand the man He was making out of our son. The son we had spent countless nights praying over. The son we had threatened within an inch of his life during his high school days. The son that pretended to have vomiting attacks at bedtime seeking an extra dose of attention. The son that drove us bananas with his constant challenging of the rules. The son that made us question whether having more children was a sensible idea.
God had been busy in my child's life. He used the Army to instill discipline and a desire to lead. The Lord used a disciplinary issue to reinforce perseverance. He used two tours in Afghanistan to mature, strengthen, mold, and shape my boy into a leader, a man who can think on his own, and person with goals and drive.
It is a relief to his dad and I that in spite of our parenting, God had our son's character and moral development under control. In spite of our human mistakes and misguided efforts, God's plan is prevailing in our son's life. Regardless of our failings, God held our boy/man in the palm of His hand, never to be released.
Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness to my child.
My son was returning to Afghanistan. No longer as a young man with mature ideals one moment only to react with teenage-type silliness the next. No, he was to return to war different than the last time he left our home. He had become an Adult with a capital A.
His two week visit home was a gift from God for my husband and I. The Lord gave us the opportunity to see firsthand the man He was making out of our son. The son we had spent countless nights praying over. The son we had threatened within an inch of his life during his high school days. The son that pretended to have vomiting attacks at bedtime seeking an extra dose of attention. The son that drove us bananas with his constant challenging of the rules. The son that made us question whether having more children was a sensible idea.
God had been busy in my child's life. He used the Army to instill discipline and a desire to lead. The Lord used a disciplinary issue to reinforce perseverance. He used two tours in Afghanistan to mature, strengthen, mold, and shape my boy into a leader, a man who can think on his own, and person with goals and drive.
It is a relief to his dad and I that in spite of our parenting, God had our son's character and moral development under control. In spite of our human mistakes and misguided efforts, God's plan is prevailing in our son's life. Regardless of our failings, God held our boy/man in the palm of His hand, never to be released.
Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness to my child.
Psalm 136:12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his loyal love endures
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