It’s the unexpected little moments in life that often pack the greatest blessings!

About a month ago I realized mid-afternoon that I needed to run to the post office.  Ugh!  I looked horrible;  I’d been cleaning & doing household chores both inside & outside on a really humid day.  Well, I didn’t have time to ‘pretty up’ so off I went.  We have this cute little rural post office in what used to be Bomberger’s Store here in Elm.  I walked in, and the post office lady smiled at me.  She asked how my day was going.  I told her, “you know what the best part of my day is so far?  The fact that we have this little local post office, and I can walk in looking like this, and you still smile at me.”  She grinned.  Just like that a very spiffy-dressed lady walked in, and tried hard not to look me up & down.  Giggle.  I skedaddled.

It’s the little things.

At the end of May/beginning of June, we experienced how 18 years of little moments bunched themselves all up to be one big moment.

We were in the midst of an insanely-busy month.  The boys volleyball team made it to the state semi-finals, and while that was crazy exciting, it hadn’t been in our plans.  Those little moments also turned into a big blessing as we transported youth back & forth with us to games, ate supper in York with Darrin’s 21-year old niece, etc. etc.  In the middle of all this, I started staying up til 2 am many-a-night working on photo albums to give to Chase as a gift at his graduation party.

In 2 weeks time he grew up before my screen-tired eyes.  I watched his sweet eyes & exuberant nature transform a teensy bit with each picture I placed on the page.  By the time we got to baccalaureate night (which was an amazing evening of testimony to God), I was a bit emotional.  When the class (and quite a few of your youth group) lit candles, and slowly walked out of our lives (ok, the auditorium), I almost couldn’t hold it together.

The next day I returned some items to Old Navy, and watched a young mom with 2 really excited little boys putting their quarters into a ball-machine at the store, and the memories came flooding back.  I felt stupid as I walked out of the store with tears streaming down my face, but I couldn’t stop them.

It’s such a mixed-up bunch of emotions, isn’t it?!  I can’t believe those little moments of summer days with slushies & swings went by so fast; I would love a chubby-armed tight neck-squeeze again, and oh, the excitement he would display over the smallest thing. Chase doesn’t shop with me anymore so it goes much quicker without his adorable smile & constant chatter & cheerful wave to anyone in the store who would pay attention to him in the grocery cart.  I don’t miss the incredible hurt in my mother’s heart when others were unkind, or the “oh my word if I have to say this one more time I’m going to scream” moments.  He picks up his own clothing now, and has his work clothes washed before I get home.  He’ll be embarrassed, but he’s still so sweet & helpful to me.  I got a text the other day from someone at church who said they love how whenever Chase drives by he yells out the window & waves if they’re outside.  Aww. Love that! But I don’t miss trying to find him amongst clothing racks or telling him if he doesn’t behave at Hilltop this week that he won’t get to watch Caillou when we get home.  giggle.  Oh my word, that deli store brought out the worst in the both of us each week.  😉  No idea why.

All of a sudden, all those little moments grew up into a 6’4” heap of blessing.  Just in 2 weeks time.

I wonder if I treasured them all in the moment, but I’m also thankful for the blessing of now.  On the other hand, I feel a bit frantic – like, did we teach him enough?  Have we told him everything we should have?  Is there something we missed or screwed up?  Is his foundation firm enough?  Yep, thoughts can almost drive a parent crazy.

On to graduation day…ice cream with family in the afternoon.

Graduation night.

You know another ‘little’ thing that’s a huge blessing for me?!  Dear girlfriends that have walked the whole journey with me!

And Prayer!

I found poems I had written to Chase as he entered kindergarten or second grade or random thoughts as I attempted to be the kind of mother I thought he needed.

Here’s what it all boiled down to.  Prayer.  I needed Jesus.

“Lord, once again we place Chase in Your hands.  He is yours.  All yours.  Thank you for the blessing you bestowed on us when you placed him in our care!  We totally didn’t get it all right, but we’re trusting You to cover what we missed, and to teach what we got wrong.  He keeps hearing, “the world is ours” as he graduates.  Please remind him this is not true.  You are sovereign over all; everything is Yours.  Keep his eyes always on You so everything else falls into place.  You created a race for him to run before he even took his first step.  Help him run!  Send others along the way to encourage him; help his steps to not falter.  Don’t let him get sidelined, because he got weary or distracted, but let him rely on You for his strength, his endurance, and his guidance.   Give him joy when life is sorrowful or overwhelming or frustrating.  Help him to share other’s burdens and every blessing you bestow on him let him hold loosely.  Teach him gratitude, and how to express it.  Remind him to place You first, himself last, and other’s in between; not in a self-loathing way, but confident in who You are and who he is in You.   Shape his character, because “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way”.  Guide him so he lives with such integrity others see You in his words & actions & deeds.  Let him hear Your voice above any other clamor for his attention, and let him be obedient to the Spirit’s voice and nudgings in his life.  Help him to always know how loved he is, even when he makes mistakes!”

Oh, I could go on and on and on.  I’m glad in moments like these that Jesus knows my heart.

Today, I’m thankful for the man who helped me raise Chase.  He leads our family by his example.  We see his faith & his trust & his surrender in his words and deeds.  We have learned unselfishness from his life, and he’s taught us to love others by the way he cherishes each of us.  He’ll be annoyed I wrote all this ‘cause he doesn’t like attention at all!, but God has used him to give our boys a glimpse of what the Father’s love looks like. I often see him standing quietly with his hand on their shoulders.

Oh pssshh.  We’re not perfect.  Not.at.all.  But I love that Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  So know we are weak.  If something good has come out of our lives or our home, it is the work of the Lord!

Dads – thank you for the sacrifices you make & the ways you provide for our families.  We acknowledge your surrender to Jesus in the moments you’ve got it all together & in the moments you don’t feel like you have a clue.  Thank you for not crumbling when we roll our eyes or get belligerent.  Thank you for bearing burdens even when we don’t realize you are, and for being what we need when we don’t want it.  You shape our lives by your actions and words more than you’ll ever realize.  Thank you for having your hands on our shoulders.  Thank you for loving Jesus!  We love you!