Pretty good weekend. This is Josh. My parents came up on Friday. This means that Noah and Zoe were counting "sleeps" since Tuesday. I really enjoy having them here. My dad and I usually end up talking about boy things, and watching Blu-Ray, and the girls end up chatting while the kids are screaming in the basement. My mom works her tail off while she's here, doing laundry, cleaning, cooking, changing light bulbs, and watching the kids. Shelly usually gets a good break.
On Saturday morning, we met up with John and Jean at IHOP on the East Beltline. It's only a 2 minute drive from our new house, so Jordan met us there when he was done roofing. It was a big ole’ party. When we were done with pancakes, we went to the new house. The framing and the roof is done. There was snow everywhere, but it didn't matter to me because I was in the IBOT. A 4-wheel-drive wheelchair is pretty amazing. I got everywhere I wanted to go except the basement. It was pretty cool.
I was reminded how universal pain is this week through a situation that happened to some friends. Jeremy and Taralynn Best have two kids, Titus and Ava. Jeremy leads worship at Greenhouse. Taralynn was away, so Jeremy was home watching Titus. Titus had a couple strange health things happen during the week, then on Thursday he had what seems to be a seizure. Jeremy had to watch this happen. It just doesn't seem fair. Why do things like this happen? There are some very easy to quote Biblical reasons that we can point out, but when you're in the thick of it, sometimes it doesn't matter. (Please keep the Bests in your prayers)
We really don't have any promises here on earth. Nobody is promising me that Shelly isn't going to get breast cancer next month, or that one of my kids isn't going to get leukemia.
So often we feel like we can manipulate God into giving us a great life here on earth. If we just say the right prayers and give enough money, God will protect our families from getting sick, He will make us financially prosperous, He will keep our cars from breaking down, and He will make us successful at work and school. I just don't see this in Scripture, but as I was growing up, I subconsciously believed it. No one really taught it to me. I just picked it up along the way.
God gives us many future promises. He gives us many promises in heaven. He certainly promises that if we live like he commands us to we will be blessed and we will bless those around us, but he gives us no physical or material promises.
Here's my point. Enjoy what we have right now. We don't deserve it. Everything we have is God's and comes from God. We didn't earn it with our talent or our perseverance. Enjoy it now. Don't wish away tough phases with your kids. Enjoy them now. Don't wish away life waiting for the next promotion or the next new vehicle. Enjoy the God’s little gifts to us right now. We just don't know how long we have.
A few weeks ago I was teasing Zoe. I never understood why teasing your daughter was fun until I had one. I always saw my uncle's teasing my cousins and other people teasing their girls. Now I know what the big deal is all about. Anyway... Zoe was half entertained and half annoyed. She wanted to get me back, so when I wasn't looking, she put eight markers down my back. Well... I don't have much feeling in my lower back, so they sat there for a few hours - 3 of them with their caps off. Shelly discovered the situation a couple hours later, and she also discovered a huge blue mark dripping down my back. We had a big laugh. I learned my lesson... don't mess with Zoe.
