Starter and Stopper

Is it against the blog law to repeat an old rambling?  Maybe it could be like an old re-run or a best of or how about try it again Tuesday, you know like throw back Thursday?  But whatever it is,  this is a repeat from a couple of years ago, before blogdom.  It made me smile re reading it last week, hope it will do the same for you.

I'm sort of a starter and a stopper or a I'm gonna start doing that but never seem to get to whatever it was I was gonna start doing.......it's a problem.  Every Christmas as a girl I would receive that new diary that was on my Christmas list.  It would always start like, Dear Diary, and then I would pour out my teenage heart felt self to this senseless book, always quiet dramatic. But alas, the diary writing would end after a bit, although those old diaries have allowed for some pretty hefty guffaws in later years.  I also have numerous journals that I started for each baby about their birth and their personalities and their funny comments,picturing what a blessing those would be to their children as they read about their parents growing up, but those also ended much too soon and their stories of growing up never made it to paper. Could that be why they never grew up, just kidding, I KNEW IT WAS ALL MY FAULT, all because of those blasted journals.

So my latest I'm gonna start doing this is a compilation (is that a word?) of all the re-do's, second chances, a do over, try agains and better think through that one again, all the things that I would have liked to have done better as a mom to the world's most bestest children.  It isn't a beat myself up list, but just a "wisdomly" list of the things that I think they could strive to do better on as a parent than I did.  Oh, how do our children ever make it to adulthood fairly "normal" with fallen parents like us, only through the grace of God.  And a whole lot of laughter which is found in our house.

I think the first re do on my list would be to make them do the hard things, like keep their rooms clean.  It's really not asking that much, the room thing.   So many different thoughts on the room thing from the "experts".  Oh wait, maybe the first re do would be to stop always listening to the "experts" and relying more on God's word on raising these little ones.  Some would say it is their personal space so let them do with it as they please. Still  others say, they don't leave the house until the white glove inspection has been done and passed with flying colors.  But years ago as we were all racing out of the door trying to get to school on time with the 5 behind me, I was happy just to know they had their correct uniform socks on and their top button buttoned.  So I adopted the biblical concept of a servants spirit.  I was convinced that if my ever so thankful children saw me serving them and cleaning their rooms they would also adopt this same spirit, bringing me to the question,  "so how's that workin for ya?"  Join me as I drag my haggard self up the stairs and take a tour of our bedrooms where the 5 wee ones have grown into 5 mostly grown ones.

As we approach the first bedroom, use caution and never venture into this room at night without a flashlight.  Every drawer will be open and clothes will be strewn from the drawers and  flowing onto the floor.  Many a bruises will be had by hitting the corners of the open drawers.  AND this room belongs to one that doesn't even live here on a regular basis.  But it also belongs to one who is my hero.  He loves his mother with a passion, even writing a song for me on my birthday and then serenading me with his guitar.  He does hard stuff even when he doesn't want to.  He takes the jobs that won't always be the most fun or fashionable but knows he has to help out.  What a man he is.  He will do great things.

Cautiously step out of that room into the next, hmmm, not bad, just a small stench from Friday night football in the air.  When I enter this room, I often ask myself why is there a pile of dirty clothes right there when there is an empty laundry basket 2 feet away?  I do enter this room with the assurance though that there are no bed bugs taking up residence here because the occupant of this bedroom has done the research.  He says that bed bugs only  live in beds that are made up, therefore, no made up bed....no bed bugs.  Awesome conclusion.  Another awesome thing about this particular room is the awesome guy that lives in it.  He is also my hero.  His smile lights my heart up just like he lights up his opponents on the football field.  It's been said that the last guy you want to go up against on the field is this particular bed bug hater.  He is an encourager to his teammates and plays with a passion.  What  a man he is.  He will do great things.

Two more steps and it's the boy's bathroom, eewwww, lets just close that door.  We don't want to go there.

The nice thing about the next room is you can just select your clothing right off the floor, never having to open the closet or the drawers.  The clean jeans and the dirty jeans all look the same.  The stains tell some serious stories, blood from hunts or stain from the warehouse.  There is a mysterious round circle on one back jean pocket.  There is a number of neatly stacked devotionals on the nightstand, crisp and just waiting to be read, but a collection of Louis Lamoure books scattered and thrown on the floor , pages dog-eared and read.  There is often the sounds of extremely loud alarms going off in this room but the big lump in the bed won't be hearing it, something called hunters ear has made sure of that.  Oh, but the man who takes up space in this room is quiet a man.  He is also my hero.  He loves his mamma and wants to find a girl just like me, so he says.  Like his brother down the hall, he also steps up and does the hard things.  He worked side by side with dad to close and move a warehouse in the 1000 degree weather.  He can often be found on the football field with his younger brother under the Friday night lights encouraging  his brother through yet again, another concussion.  Side by side on the beach, sitting beside #45.  What a man he is.  He will do great things.

Up and around the corner, you will find the room of the only wee one left.  He has a new big boy bed.  This room is scattered with pull ups and big boy "unwear".  This room is a room of much love.  All the uncles gather here to show off their guns, not like pow pow guns, but their muscles.  They are now teaching the wee one to show his.  There is wrestling, sootball ( as the wee one calls it) push ups and chin up contests.Bedtime stories are often heard by a mommy who has worked hard all day to teach others but nestles in bed at night with him to end his day. You might even find her still there in the morning.  And if you notice what he sleeps in, it's his aunts old cheerleader t shirts from elementary school.  The wee one that pitter patters around in this room is also my hero.  He will be a great man because of a papa that cherishes him and 3 big uncles who love him and will teach him the way of the Lord.  What a  man he will be.  He will do great things.

The last room upstairs has housed two daughters of the King.  It began as a cheerleader's room.  With cheer signs on the door and years worth of homecoming mums on the walls, you would enter this room and be greeted with precious words painted on the walls of assurances of her Father's love for her.  My cheerleader now lives on down the road and I'm sure SHE always makes her bed but she left those precious words painted for her older sis,  "The King is enthralled by your beauty, honor Him, for He is your Lord." Ps 45:11  No matter what room she occupies, whether here or there, she remains quiet a young woman.  She too, was often found on the football field on Friday nights.  Lighting up the world with her smile and cheering for the team,often one of her brothers.  She is now coaching younger ones on how to pass on that winning smile but more so passing on her character.  She is my hero, actually my princess.  She is full of love and laughter, attracting others to her and her Lord and Savior.  What a young lady she is.  She will do great things.

Now as the new owner of this room has taken over, there are some challenges but let's just blame it on a new teaching job and a cat that is not so affectionately called the spawn of satan.  Don't venture too close to the bed because the spawn will jump out and climb your bare leg.  The laundry baskets that are scattered around the room serve as great counting games for the wee one and the unmade bed, again with no bed bugs, is always ready to fall into at the end of a long day.  Oh, and the various shoes scattered around the room simply make it easier to find them in the morning.  The teacher in this room has a story to tell.  A story of tough choices and decisions, a love story that is unimaginable between a mommy and a baby.  A baby that changed a family and showed the world,"we can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" or as the wee one says, "I can do it cause Christ God."  She is my hero, what a young woman she is.  She will do great things.

Well, maybe keeping their rooms clean wasn't that big of a deal after all.  But I can venture back a little and say I should have done a little more coaching in the area of letting them do the hard things.  Didn't get that paper typed, I'm sorry.  Can't find that information you need on the Internet, I'm sorry.  Don't have any money for that activity, I'm sorry.  Cant' find your shoes, purse, homework,......head, I'm sorry.  The hardest thing for me to ever do was look at one of my precious children and say, No, I'm sorry, you will have to do it or suffer the consequences.

Can you imagine the day, when the most precious, one and only, beloved Son of God, knelt down, looked up and asked His Daddy God will you "take this cup from me"?  In my small mind it would be like can you come up with another plan, do something different, change your mind, re-think that again, anything?  I bet you could have heard a pin drop in heaven as the angels waited for a reply.  But God, in His undying love for all of His children had to say, no, my son.  His will would be done.  He didn't take that cup from Him.  God didn't want me to have to suffer the consequences for my wretched sin.  He wanted me to join Him in eternity.  What a great and awesome Savior He is.  He did great things.