small enough

After a round of hugs, Mom would help us button up our coats. We would walk out into the dark night with the stars shining above us. Depending on who was the quickest to call it, one of us would climb in the front seat between Mom and Dad. The other two would buckle up in the back seat. It was a short eight mile drive home from Grandpa and Grandma’s, but long enough to fall asleep. I would try my hardest to get comfortable and be sleeping before the red granada would climb our driveway and deliver us home.

If sleep didn’t overtake me fast enough, I would still be awake when we got there. These were the times that I would press my eyes together, be very quiet and pretend to be sleeping. And, if I played the game well enough, my daddy’s strong arms would scoop me up and carry me to my room.

Sometimes I wish I was still small enough to pretend to be sleeping just so that I could feel the strong warmth in those protective arms.

tired of being grown-up

I want to play. Does anyone want to make mudpies, fly a kite or have a water balloon fight? I’d be content to build a sandcastle or play in the park as well.

favorite thing number seven

words

trade the moment

The last comment I made on my “about 50 things left to do” post has me thinking. When I consider the lives of Abraham, Moses, Deborah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Zechariah, Mary or Paul, I wonder if any of them actually lived the lives they were expecting. For instance, when Abraham was asked to leave his home, I wonder if he expected to one day after finally receiving a child, be asked to sacrifice his child to this very God who had called him into the wilderness. It seems to me that most biblical characters are given lives of adventure. The Lord’s servants do things like command animals to speak, fire to drop from heaven, blind men to see, and the dead to walk. Others dine with sinners, eat unclean food, give away their savings, rest during times of calamity, and are reprimanded for defending the Son of God. No, the ways of the Lord often aren’t what we are expecting.

The funny thing about the unexpected is that it is almost always better than what we had planned. I’m pretty sure that Abraham when commanded to take his son, his only son to the top of Mount Moriah and sacrifice him to the Lord, was angry and confused. But, I’d like to think that the worship that took place after the Lord provided the lamb was authentic, and that Abraham wouldn’t trade that moment of worshiping with Isaac for anything.

So, here I am. A little confused. At moments angry. But, I am also confident that the Lord is preparing me for something. And, I am sure that when the time comes for others to find me bowing down in worship, I won’t want to trade that moment for anything, either.

about fifty things left

Dave Freeman the co-author of 100 Things To Do Before You Die died at age 47. What’s even more depressing is that he only went to about half the places on the list…

favorite thing number six

my family. all nine of them.

tonight

…and then ten years go by.