I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day! What a beautiful day it is...full of promise, hope and opportunity!
Wow, what a week! The littlest preacher in our family, my 6-year old son, was preaching through living some powerful sermons this week. Matthew 19:13 (MSG - I love The Message translation. I heard it said once that The Message is so simple even linebackers can understand it. I would add also tight ends who went across the middle to many times!): "One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these." After laying hands on them, he left."
Please allow me to share with you the three lessons that the Little Preacher shared with me this week.
- On Tuesday the Little Preacher had flag football practice. Now, if you have never been to anything sports for 6-year olds, please do yourself a favor and go watch. It doesn't matter if it is a practice or a game, if it is baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball or football. I promise you, you will leave with a smile on your face and a greater understanding of true happiness, joy and peace. Anyways, the Little Preacher was standing in the huddle, getting the play from his coach - thank goodness there is no delay of game in flag football for 6-year olds...the process takes about 5 minutes!! - when all of the sudden the Little Preacher looked over to me and signaled, "I love you." He points to his eye (I), he made the shape of a heart with those precious little hands (love) and pointed to me (you). I almost fell out of my chair. He could care less about the play, what anyone else thought or said...he simply felt in his heart that he wanted to tell me he loved me so he did. Honored, blessed beyond measure, wishing and hoping I would listen to my heart so clearly, not worry about anything or anyone other than doing what my heart tells me to do and never being "too busy" to tell those we cherish that we love them! Amen Little Preacher!
- After the exhausting practice - the practice lasts an hour, they run maybe ten plays however they are running all over the place...hey, there are bugs and stuff out there!!! - we came home for dinner. The Little Preacher announces that "I am going to be a pro football player." His 15-year old brother responds, "I thought you were going to be a Navy Seal." Without so much as a pause, the Little Preacher says, "God has a plan for me." My Beautiful Bride, two other sons and I just looked at each other. It was that weird, awkward moment...nobody knows what to say and everyone has that dumbfounded look on their face. Meanwhile the Little Preacher is looking at all of us like we are nuts! He seems to be saying, "what? God has a plan for my life. There is nothing to worry about here. Pro football, Navy Seal...it doesn't matter. God has a plan and I trust in that plan." Still blows me away typing this! The words of conviction flowed so freely from his sweet mouth and his expression and body language left no doubt that he believes it fully. Your faith and belief is challenging my spirit Little Preacher...Amen!
- Yesterday the boys and I were playing baseball together. I love to go hit them pop flys...don't know why however it has always been a time of great joy and peace for me. I had been hitting them pop flys for a little while when I saw the Little Preacher sitting under a tree. I asked him what was wrong. He said, "nuffin" which of course means something is wrong. I walked over to him and again asked him what was wrong. He said, "I hurt my thumb." I did all the Daddy Doctor stuff...are you o.k.? does it hurt here? can you bend your thumb? It became perfectly clear that his thumb was just fine...he just wanted me to know that he had hurt his thumb and he wanted me to care. Have you ever felt that way? Something hurt, you are o.k., but you desperately want someone to know you were hurt and that they care about your hurt. Me too! So why don't we? After receiving the necessary treatment of a hug, the Little Preacher tore off yelling, "Dad, it's my turn!" Take the time to notice someone else's pain, genuinely care and offer whatever love you have to offer. Got it Little Preacher!
"I don't know what's going on in your life right now. I don't know what important stuff you have in front of you. I don't know what or who is bothering you or trying to set your schedule for tomorrow or days ahead. But I wonder if we all need to do a better job of listening to that gentle whisper from a God who daily reminds us to enjoy the sacred moments with those we love - with dear friends, with those who need us, and especially with our precious children. They are moments we will look back on with either regret or a smile.
Either way, the memory will last forever."
The weight of the last statement - "Either way, the memory will last forever" - never escapes me, no matter how many times I read it or type it. Challenging, inspiring, overwhelming...
Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for any of you or your families. I will be willing and honored to help you any way I can.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and I hope that all of us will never forget that either way, the memories will last forever.
Kev
No comments:
Post a Comment