Raking the Grass for Others

Thanks for raking the grass yesterday boys!  You did a great job.

I know it was not fun.  I could see it in your eyes, and in the unenergetic way you pulled the grass toward yourself with the rake.  With long pauses between pulls.  And sighs.

Chores are seldom fun.  But life is filled with chores, from beginning to end.  We are never promised in this life that we will only get to do the things that we find fun to do.  In fact, in order to get along and grow up, we need to do things we do not want to do.

I used to be like you.  And I still am.  You can probably see it in my eyes sometimes.  And in the unenergetic way I do the things I am supposed to do.  But I do them anyway.  And you will too someday, even when no one is there to make you do them.  That is what happens when you grow up.  People who don't grow up do not do the things they are supposed to do because they do not like them.

What I am grateful for is that when I do things I do not like doing, I have a reason.  Usually it is for someone other than myself.  If it were only for me, many things would not get done.  Living for yourself doesn't get things done that need to get done.  People who live for themselves have not grown up.  But I live for your Mom, and for you, and for Jesus.

And I do things because I love you.  I hope you can see it in my eyes.

Hope During the Lean Times

You hug less as you grow up.  Now you lean more, and we understand why.  You may not know how much even a little lean means to us.

I hope you forgive me for those embarrassing moments when I grab you and throw my arms around you.

I can't help it; I am stocking up.   Because someday, you will  move out, and we won't even get leans.

But later . . .much later, when you visit us, I think we will get hugs again.

So, I can make it through the lean times, because the days of plenty are coming.