I Dare You...

Having a baby around is such a fun time of life. Yeah there’s the hard stuff like lack of sleep, getting nothing “important” done, and dislocated ribs (which I am currently experiencing). But the fun and profound of having one around could never be outweighed. Our little Heath is a mess. He is already a charmer. He can do this sweet smile where his bright blue eyes seem to glow and if the sun hits him just right, his hair sparkles. His favorite time to pull out that smile is right when he’s doing something wrong. I’m not kidding. Just as he puts a rock in his mouth or grabs the plant stand he looks at me with such a sweet face. Then falls over laughing at himself. Or, he crawls over to me whining and saying, “Mamamamama.” When he gets to me, he pulls up on my shoulders, smiles that smile, then pulls my hair as hard as he can and laughs. Obviously, he’s getting to hear the word no often.

Everyday that baby boy is learning so much. In just a weeks' time, he seems to know twice what he did the week before. He is learning to relate to people based on their expressions and tone. He is trying to communicate with us when he wants something. One week he was a timid stepper, the next he ventures out into the middle of the room. He wakes up to everyday ready to learn something new; ready to be challenged mentally and physically.

When do we lose that? When do we start avoiding risky situations and start seeking comfort and ease? What makes us want things to be easy? Why do we get annoyed at difficult situations? Why do we spend so much money protecting ourselves from things that never happen? What makes us say no to the unknown?

I think that our enemy enjoys it when we live life like that. He enjoys it when we buffer our lives and squeeze things tightly. That’s his way of making us boring and ineffective. What if those 116 patriots (only 9 of them were over the age of 40) hadn’t risked it all and dumped the tea out in Boston? Would the United States exist? I can almost feel the adrenaline pumping through their veins as the snuck out that cold December night. And, what if William Wilberforce hadn’t dedicated his entire life to the abolishment of slavery in England? He could have just been an extremely wealthy man working in the family business as a merchant. Instead, he let that passion burn inside him and faced challenge and changed the world for the better. About you and me: Someday people should say, “What if (insert your name) hadn’t done (insert your purpose)?” We really are all put on this earth for a reason. And, it’s not to seek comfort. It’s to really live.

Recently, some people have gone out on a limb to bless our little family. I mean they have really showed us love. I had to call a friend to come kill a bee that got in the house while Brent was a work. She dropped everything and drove over here with her fly swatter and killed that thing for me. She didn’t stop there. She went and bought me my own pretty pink fly swatter with a scooper too. Another couple who we love dearly gave us a random significant gift just because they wanted to. Some other friends have dressed our kids with their hand-me-downs. What does this have to do with what I’m talking about? All those people could have chosen to protect their precious time and money. Because they didn’t we are overflowing with gratitude. I truly thank God for using them to love us. And, I am moved to pass the “blessings” on. These people haven’t put an end to slavery or changed the course of America (at least not yet), but who knows what the effects will be in the long run.

I found myself sitting on the side of the bed a couple weeks ago asking God to challenge my thinking. I was feeling pretty confident and almost set in my ways. I was needing some of His mystery to challenge me. In the past few days He has opened the door for my thinking to be challenged. I’m having to wrestle with Him about some stuff. And, it’s changing me. As I was driving in a BEAUTIFUL stretch of land between here and Caledonia today, I prayed, “I can’t imagine if I hadn’t gone through this wrestling match with You. I already understand so much more than I did.” I'm thankful for the challenge.

I have a hunch that we are better off when we're challenged mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We are meant to change. We are meant to grow. We are meant to be persevere. I dare you to ask God to challenge you in some way this week. It may just be exactly what you’ve been waiting for. And like Jacob, let's stick the thing out until we learn the lesson and say to God, "I will not let go until you bless me." (Gen. 32:26) We will experience God and we'll walk away different. I dare you to ask Him...

Harold...

I am so thankful for my dad. He and I are a lot alike! I was always a little disappointed that I didn’t get his crystal blue eyes that all the ladies went on and on about. I remember looking at his yearbooks and scrap books. He was one awesome basketball player. Lots of the life lessons he taught me came from things he learned in sports.

The summer before my senior year of high school he told me that he could make me the best girl basketball player Sikeston had ever seen if I would do everything he taught me that summer. Poor guy. I would not play basketball. I was not up for the line drills! He should have had a boy rather than three girls!

My dad is a hard worker and has always been very honest. I wanted to be like him in that. He likes to sweat and be outside. I do the same. Brent doesn’t mind one bit that I love push mowing the yard. I don’t know how many hours he and I spent laying out in our lawn chairs getting a tan listening to country music! And, I would follow along as he would head to the nearest brick wall or basketball court. He would shoot baskets for hours or hit a tennis ball against the wall over and over. He says that tennis in the only class he passed in college.

I wonder how many hours he and I have spent together just the two of us. I’m sure I’ve not spent more time with anyone else up to this point in my life. We both love the early morning hours. I remember seeing him on the front porch watching the sun rise. I remember seeing him reading his Bible in the dark winter morning hours in his recliner. I remember watching the KFVS12 Breakfast Show before school together. Sometimes we would listen to K103 and try to win the morning contests.

My dad gave advice very direct. He has never been one to beat around the bush or hide his opinion. We had our best talks before school. I remember the morning before my first Homecoming Dance. He came in and sat down beside my bed. He told me that he still remembers the names of the girls in high school who were “good girls.” The one’s who didn’t sleep around and didn’t stay out late doing dumb stuff. He said that he would take the “good girl” to the dance. Then, he would take her home and go pick up other girls. And, that now, he doesn’t even remember the other girls’ names. I got the point. Did I want to be a girl whose name my date remembered or not? Some may criticize his ways. But I loved his honesty. I knew he wasn’t perfect. And, I knew he loved me and that he would do anything for me. I could trust him. I’m thankful for his honesty.

Off subject… Sometimes, as Christians we aren’t honest with each other. And then, we feel like there are standards we all expect each other to meet and we put up fronts. We can learn one from my dad. People love it when we’re real with our issues and they can learn from our mess ups.

My dad always lightens the mood with me. I have always been an impatient little thing. I would be so annoyed when he told me, “Patience in a virtue.” Once he did a very practical test with me about the speed limit. We were driving to St. Louis. He drove 85 mph for 30 miles and timed how long it took. Then, we drove 70 mph for 30 miles and timed how long it took. He convinced that the few minutes difference weren’t worth the speeding.

Another time, I was getting some honor my freshmen year of college. It was a really formal ceremony. Very quiet, very somber. When they called my name and I went to the stage, what did I see in the back of the room? My dad waving liking a crazy man giving me thumbs up. Don’t get the wrong picture. He wasn’t that proud of me. He was trying to get me to laugh. Point is, let’s not take ourselves too seriously!

I really could go on for hours. I have so many wonderful memories and lessons from him. He is the dad God planned for me! I am so very thankful for that man.

As I write this, I am in prayer for him. His life has gone a different direction. It resembles nothing of the days of my youth. I know our God is all over this. I am praying God touches him in a very special way tonight. I am praying he has a face to face encounter with God that changes him. And, that my dad, will live the rest of his life in peace and with purpose resting in the arms of the God who loves him and made him… beautiful blue eyes and tender hearted.