Friday, May 19, 2023
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
One more day in the life
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.
Jasper, Margaret and I did six jigsaw puzzles Wednesday, and then two more on the computer when Miles got here. Eight puzzles in a day!
For awhile in the morning we tested out the apartment swimming pool with a few casts of our rubber fish and then a brisk swim-around in the at-first-cold-but-then-just-right water. For awhile we avoided the water bugs, but eventually we started catching them on our fingers and talking a little to them.
“If we eat them, then they’ll eat us,” I said. Jasper wasn’t sure. But after a few more minutes holding the cute brown bugs with the very active legs, he decided I was right. Only thing was, every time we “rescued” them from the water, they ended up wriggling around upside down. So we put them right back in again.
Later, walking back home, Jasper tripped and scuffed up his knee. He was thinking about whether to cry, but this time he didn’t. Instead, he challenged me to a high road or low road race back to our door. I think he was the winner.
He made the tortillas and cheese we had for lunch, while I fried bacon and a few eggs. Margaret made a nice coconut-strawberry yogurt dessert for us. We also tried out a chocolate ice cream root beer float. Jasper said he liked the chocolate ice cream better than vanilla. I looked at him like he was addled. He just kept drinking the root beer. It didn’t seem to affect his nap.
We’ll be missing this rhythm in a week or so, when school is out and the Tomitas get into their summer rhythm. Then in August Jasper will be starting pre-K at Austin Classical School. He is pretty excited. Opportunities with the boys will be available, but not every Monday and Wednesday. For the last 2 ½ years we’ve gotten used to that, and now we will have to get unused to it..
One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
How will those boys turn out, and in a few years become men? These have been the days when we could do our part in raising them, which means making decisions every few minutes about how to live and show them what we can about how they might also choose to live. Our parents did that for us, we did that for our kids, and now we have been getting the very special chance to do it one more time, in a small way, for their kiddos. Since 2009 when Jack was born, we’ve been somewhat and somehow in the middle of this.
So grateful. For Jack, Aly, Miles and Jasper.
I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
(Acts 18, Psalm 47, Luke 24, John 26)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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