Before One Came To Be

Above is a photo of framed portrait that my loving linebacker three year old, John Mark, & I just talked about.  

John Mark, this picture is five years old now.  When we first moved to Nebraska.  Who is in this picture?

You & Mama.

Who is that little boy?

Seth.

And who is that toddler?

Mary Elizabeth.

And then I asked, expecting a Mama's tummy answer, And where were you?

Big blue eyes looked up as the sweetest voice replied.

In Mama's heart.

I held my precious son tight as the Spirit spoke Psalm 139:16 to me.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

God knows you.

God loves you.

Before you took a breathe.

Before you were conceived.

You were in His heart.

Pill

Sitting in the middle of the couch last night.  One child laying to either side.  Heads toward the ends.  Feet toward Daddy.  Mary Elizabeth on my right.  John Mark on my left.  Before I could even start a mental countdown for the expected question, Mary Elizabeth stated it instead, "Scratch my back, Daddy."

John Mark, little brother never to be left out, quickly & with greater emphasis added, "and my back too-ooooo," as he rolled over back up.

Right hand for the right hand child.  Left hand for the left hand child.  Yet the back were too close & angles to awkward.  Hurt my carpal tunnel inflicted right wrist.

How about a crossover switheroo then?  Right hand for the left hand child.  Left hand for the right hand child.  Arms too short for that approach.

What's a Daddy to do?

"Kids, Daddy's arms don't work when you are this close," I said.  "But Daddy, your hand was in the right place the first time," replied ME.  "You do it, Daddy," added JM.  "Mary, honey, I'm sorry, but that way hurt Daddy's wrist too much.  I'm getting old & wearing out some, you know," I answered.

John Mark sits up.  Animated now.  And says, "Take a pill to fix it, Daddy."  (Spoken in two syllables as "PEE-uhl."  He's got a sweet southern Mama, ya know.)

He continues, his eyes searching his memory as his words spill out with conviction, "Pappy has a pill to fix it.  You get a pill from Pappy & you’ll be all better.  Then you can scratch Mary’s back.  And my back too."

I wish I could.

You wish you could.

All the problems of our adult lives.  The one's our kids don't yet understand.  The one's we know they'll learn.  But not just yet.

Health problem.  Yes, there is a pill to fix that as the scenes of lovely people doing lovely things depict.  Don't mind all the possible side-effects throughout the latter half of the commercial.

Work problem.  Yes, I'd like a pill to fix that.

Relationship problem.  I'd like a few of those pills too.  Make sure the prescription is for the other person though.  The problem is all theirs.  It's not me.  No, never me.

What John Mark, at three, has yet to learn is that pills do not fix everything.

People fix things.

God fixes things.

People committed to God, one another, & finding solutions.

Think about the one anothers of the Bible.  Love one another.  Honor one another.  Serve one another.

Hard pill to swallow at times.  Yet, just the right solution.

Watching You

Lord, forgive my failures in Fatherhood. Make me into the father you desire & my children deserve. Give me strength to serve when I am tired. Give me courage to do right when it is tough. Give me restraint to hold my tongue & harness my actions when I am angry. Give me wisdom to discern their growing hearts. Let me love them, the three precious children you have entrusted to me, as sacrificially as you love me. Amen.

Traffic Pattern

We have a voluntary traffic pattern around our elementary school for drop off & pick up. Voluntary. It is not the law. No flashing lights. No “ONE WAY” signs. No law enforcement officers for compliance. Just a caring Principal & a zealous Crossing Guard.

Voluntary. Recommended. Suggested.

Kindly worded letters from our Principal regularly request & remind us: Please follow the pattern. For the safety of the students. For the ease of other drivers. For other fill-in-the-blank good reason.

I’m a rules guy. I like order. I like convenience. I like safety. So, I do not like it when other parents come from the wrong direction. These salmon parents are always wild-eyed & driving too fast lest their spawn be late as well. Or when folks double park. "Grow up & wait your turn," I wanna wag my finger at them. "Now I know where your kid learned that!" Or when parents simply stay parked in the drop off area. "Are you feeding your kid breakfast in there? Come on!" Don't get me started on the repeat offenders. Those habitual parental scofflaws! (That sounds stouter than calling them "scoffpatterns.") Are these people more important than the rest of us? Do their needs supersede the rest of ours?

I have a few ideas for scoffpattern compliance, but I best stop ranting & move to my point.

Disobeying a voluntary traffic pattern is a small problem in this temporal life, but it can represents a big problem that can lead to eternal death.

Think with me: Am I without sin when it comes to obeying laws? How many times do I follow rules only when it is convenient? How often do I ignore the directions because I don’t agree? Do I obey all that I know of God’s Law?

God says of His Word, “be careful to obey… do not turn from it to the right or too the left.” Yet, how often to I treat His Word as voluntary? Just suggestions? Kind recommendations? But not authoritative? And surely not commanding me to obey something I feel otherwise about?

God has given us a traffic pattern for life as Christ Followers. He says, “Love me with everything you’ve got. Love your neighbor like yourself. Read, study, memorize & obey my Word. Use your giftedness for my Kingdom. Tithe at least ten percent. Give to those in need. Pray like breathing. Follow Jesus every step of life.”

Although we follow God’s Word voluntarily, it is the Law. Follow with me, Friends. If needed, you can change your pattern to obedience over convenience, service over selfishness, & drawing near to God over running our own way.

Two Ones

John Mark is at it again. Reinventing the English language.

Markese, we call it.

His latest Markese phrases: happy noodle; two ones.

Happy noodle is a whole other post. Two ones today.

Two ones uses include...

John Mark, would you like a piece of candy?

Two ones, Daddy! Reaching open handed.

Let's go get Seth & tickle him, John Mark.

Yeah, tickle him two ones. Trotting toward Big Brother.

But the best is...

I love you, John Mark.

I love you two ones, Daddy. Hugging humbled Daddy.

Two ones.

Live Markese. Loving your Ones.