Last week I went through schedules for the month. Literally, the month. Felt pretty overwhelmed for myself and my family. Every single day from December 1 through December 19, we have one or more activities that we are committed to. After a full-day's work and a full day of school. All are good activities. All are enjoyable. All we get to enjoy other people that are amazing people in our village. We eat a lot of drive-through. Our house is a disaster. Our friends are ALL in the same boat. We get each other. It's a busy season. In a season that should be filled with joy, sometimes it's hard to find becuase of the stresses that come with it. Christmas shopping isn't done and the tree isn't up, but we'll get there. Maybe tomorrow afternoon after all the church activities are over and we're all at home. If the mice that were in the attic didn't get to my tree...It's life. It's hectic. It's stressful. It's all-encompassing. The schedule runs us. I need more white space on the calendar. It's also beautiful and wonderful and amazing in the same breath.
It's a Saturday, and my middle gets to do what she loves the absolute most and take dance lessons from amazing people that I'm so thankful are in our village. Couldn't imagine her not with them or them not with us. They're a blessing. There's downtime for 3 1/2 hours for my sweet 2-year old boy and me while the middle takes dance and the big is away doing what she loves. The gardens have been advertising that this weekend still has the best color. Off we go, because it looks like fun and I love some good nature pictures! His favorite colors are yellow and orange, and he asks while we're there if God and Santa are there. Actually we later find out that Santa is in the park while we're there and carolers will be singing. We talk about God being all around us in the beauty and the colors that He's given us. Joe looks at me at another point and tells me God made him to be him. So wise for a two-year old. He (God) did do that! We weren't expecting to have other children. Not that we didn't want more, but were very content with our precious girls. God gave us one that's in Heaven, then gave us Joe. Joe's due date was on the one year death date of our 3rd. It's not a coincidence. He knew what we needed. Love and grace and hope in the form of a boy.
Joe is named after two of his great-grandfathers. His name in Hebrew means "He will add." That he does. He adds Joy. He adds laughter. He adds time. He adds white space in the calendar. You have to stop for a baby and toddler. So many people have told me that they could never start over at 38 or 40 with another baby. It's not for everyone. Not everyone has the opportunity. He knew what we would face over the past few years, and placed this child named Joe with us. He adds. Immeasurably.
He found Santa and rushed toward him with a leaf to give him. He traded for a candy cane. His mom also found God in the park in the tiny boy placed with me and in the beauty and stillness and time around me. I needed that today. I needed life and air today.
He (Joe) looked at me at one point today and said, "Come follow me." I think it's synonomous. I have that verse hanging in my house in the form of a picture I gave my husband for our first Christmas. "Come. Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Joe likes to lead. May you lead others the rest of your life, sweet boy. May you be a man among men. May you be a fisherman. May you bring joy to all you come in contact with like you add to my life. He is love, he is life, he is laughter, he is pure joy. He is the ornery kid who licks the top of the honey and makes himself a ketchup sandwich and pours his milk into his dump truck. He gives me mommy kisses when I ask and says, "I cwack you up?!? You cwack me up!" He is here for a purpose. For 3 1/2 hours today, his mommy forgot about a schedule and found life and lived it. Life was good today.
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| Come follow me. |
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| I'll follow you, sweet one. May you be a man among men. |
