Quarters, Patches & Socks

In my home, there is a child.

A child who is the contrast, the opposite of his momma...

I am slower paced.
He is fast. He zooms.

I have lower energy.
He is energy is off my scale.

I am introspective.
His is a quick thinker.

I like order.
He is curious. He is inquisitive. He is an inventor.

I lack any competitive bone in my body.
He is passionately competitive. 

I am content to sit and watch.
He. Must. Move. (Quickly!)

I am particular. Perfectionist. Methodological.

He is hasty. He is impulsive. He is MESSY. 

(He is also 6 years old.) ;)

Summarized?
I STROLL. NATURALLY.
HE RACES. NATURALLY.

We are just created differently. (Very differently!)
Even as a newborn, I could sense he was wired in way unlike his momma.

¹³ "For it was You who created my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well.  My bones were not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 
 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began."
Psalm 139:13-16

He is yet a child. 
He needs reigned in. Often.
He needs boundaries. To recognize the "circle of safety."
He needs training. In kindness, in manners, in respect.
He needs guidance. Discipline. 
He requires great patience. And great love.

"Every time you saw me, a smile is what you should have seen first." 

(Ann Voskamp)

Oh, but the things he already offers...

He is a Lego master. He wants to take apart clocks, just 'cause.

I can be President Business. Sometimes. (But sometimes, I'm curious about the insides of clocks, too!)

His understanding of football as a 1st grader is beyond me.

I watch football just to watch people, even after all these years!

His athleticism and coordination doesn't come from me.

His questions about life amaze me.

Connecting the dots. Quickly.

Getting concepts. Quickly.

I tend to carefully navigate through my anxieties.

He seems to move swiftly, in confidence.

How will these parts of our boy change as he grows?

As he experiences life, the lovely and the ugly?

As he encounters pain, disappointment?

What parts of him are already deeply shaped, and which parts are likely moldable?

I want to continue learning how to celebrate this unique individual, aka my son. 

This boy who is so very different from his momma... even as I was the first one to hold him, kiss him, feed him, slumber beside him...

Celebrate his gifts.

Celebrate how God's fingerprints on him will have positive, yet-unimaginable future implications.

To be in wonder and anticipated celebration of how these present difficulties and challenges we are facing as we raise him will SOMEDAY be the foundation of his strength of character and giftings and passions. 

Like tonight?

The hard earned money he gained as a result of last weekend's lemonade stand...

He had begged all day for me to take him to the grocery store. So that he could buy his brothers some toys with his coins.

And he did this. He carefully put in his quarters and picked out what he thought his brothers (and dad and mom) would want the most.

He blessed.

Of his own initiative.

And eye patches?

He is a tender, oh-so-gentle oldest brother to the littlest one.

Every. single. time. that this boy asks me about helping his youngest brother take off his daily eye patch, my heart melts and my attitude softens.

A child's care and love.

A child's initiative.

And this afternoon?

I had one of those momma moments.

The boys and I had stayed home all day. It had (rapidly) grown to be hours of tension for me: constant messes and clutter, loud football tackles, brotherly strife, my meeting 3 peoples' conflicting-and-constant needs. And my desiring peaceful minutes to myself, even if this was futile...

And then. 

I went upstairs for a "break" from the refereeing and repairing. To fold freshly dried, warm laundry. And the first items I picked up were 2 little socks. 

Two. Little. Socks.

And the preciousness of these small, been-used-to-cover-a-son's-growing-feet brought sudden tears to my eyes. Really.

As I held those 2 socks softly in my fingers, my heart was softened and renewed.

The absolute miracle of my life. All the gifts these children bring.

With these gifts? Comes stress and expectations and challenges. Yes. 

But such LIFE.

"How could I forget that the one thing 

that we're always really teaching 

is LOVE." 

(Ann Voskamp)

I love these children. 

And honestly? Some days (many days) it is hard to love all there is about being a momma. Or to even "like" everything about these people in my midst. Especially when those unique personalities are so drastically different from mine... when this brings about battles, outwardly and inwardly. 

But. "Love has to be a choice." 

(Rick Warren)

And. "All of life is a job of strengthening our character and maturing us and going through all we go through."

(Chuck Colson)

And. "It's about being authentic. 

It's about them seeing you grow; you dealing with your stuff." 

(Chip Ingram)

And. "The way God produces the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is 

by allowing us in the exact opposite position. 

Love, in being around unlovely people. 

Joy, in the middle of grief. 

Peace, in the middle of chaos." 

(Rick Warren)

To teach our young ones: 

"This is what God did with me: 

Don't put Him in a box. 

Let Him be as original with YOU as He was with me." 

(Chuck Colson)

May I always remember the contrast between 

PREFERENCES and LOVE 

while I am in this momma role, caring for such distinct, 
God-fingerprinted children...

Now, go get 'em, champs.

Blessings on our unique journeys, dear reader!
Elizabeth