building and growing

I am not in any way skilled in the use of tools.  I barely know the difference between the two types of screwdrivers, and I struggle to hang pictures on the wall with a simple hammer and nails.  For these reasons, Lowe's is not a store that I frequent on Saturdays.  There's nothing in there that I need or care to use; however, when Jeremy signed Sam up for the Build & Grow activity, I knew that I would be spending a Saturday morning in a store that's the complete opposite of Jo-Ann's Fabrics.  I also knew that I would do this gladly because it's for my sweet Sam :).

Sam is in his element any time there are instructions that need to be read/followed in order to make something.  I think his first words when I opened the package were, "Do I get to keep my instructions?!"  Using a hammer and nails to build a monster truck?  The best thing ever to Sam!

Besides reading instructions and playing monster trucks, another favorite of Sam's is people-watching, and there were a lot of people there to watch.  The key is to not people watch while hammering.  If you don't remember this, you may hammer someone's finger (like your mother's)....good thing they don't give them big hammers.

Sam and I, being the nerds that we are, got really excited over the patch he got for his apron.  It's ironed on and ready for next time!

Totally worth time in the tool store!!

I realized afterwards that we had some leftover nails; glancing back at the instructions, I saw a few places that they maybe should have gone....as long as Sam doesn't find out, it'll be fine ;).

a tender heart

When God made Sam, He put in him a very tender heart.  This is on full display when he realizes that he's hurt someone else*.

In Sunday School this morning, he had a Type A Control Freak moment and tried to show another little boy how to use the hole puncher.  (The other little boy didn't ask for help....Sam just insist on showing others how/what to do. I have no idea where he gets this from...)

He ended up squishing the little boy's finger :(.  I told Sam to say he is sorry since he hurt his friend.  The words were barely out his mouth when the tears started to fall.

The same happens at home.  The one that causes the largest water works display is when he's in trouble, and we tell him that it hurts our hearts when he acts ugly.  Big, fat tears fall.

This morning, seeing Sam get so upset over hurting his friend made me think of how I act after I realize I have hurt someone else.  When my words have been anything but kind.  When my actions could be described as all but loving.

When I sin, it hurts God's heart....but do I have the same tearful, remorseful response as a little 4 year old who realizes that his actions have hurt his parents' hearts?  I am afraid that my tender heart isn't as tender as I like to think it is.  Oh, that God would tenderize my heart and remove the callouses formed there, that my response when faced with my wrongdoing would be one of remorse and repentance. Afterall, He offers forgiveness, grace, and mercy in abundance to each and every heart tender enough to come to Him.



*Someone else does not apply to the cat...we are still working on saying sorry to the cat and meaning it....

jumping from the top step

If walking down the steps is good, jumping off them is even better.  Such was the thinking of Sam yesterday.

And, because there's a big difference between thinking and actually doing, he wanted me to hold onto him as he jumped.  (His sense of risk taking only goes so far, which I am sure to be thankful for when he's a teenager.)

Jump. Repeat. Jump. Repeat.

Eventually, I had a more exciting idea....I'll stand in front of you and catch you.   At first, he was hesitant and unsure.  He tip-toed off his first few times, but after experiencing me catching him every time he jumped, the hesitancy and uncertainty was replaced by excited expectation.  With much laughter and silliness, he would climb up to jump again.   He now knew that I would catch him, that my assurances of catching him could be trusted.  Experience is a great teacher.

Isn't this how our faith in God is strengthened?  With each experience of having to depend on Him, we learn that He is trustworthy, His Word can be trusted, and that His plans for us are good.  If we never jumped, how would we learn these things?

Here's to having our faith stretched, to jumping from the top step, and to knowing that He will catch us!

what makes a family

(Dinosaur Train: popular show on PBS about a family of dinosaurs and cause of my heart flip-flopping during an ordinary lunch)

Lunch conversation is guided by whatever pops into Sam's head, which means it's mainly about toys and plans for after nap time.  What popped into his head and out of his mouth the other day about some Dinosaur Train characters caught me completely off guard...

Sam: Mrs. Pteranodon isn't Buddy's mom.

Oh, yeah, why not?

Sam: Buddy doesn't have a beak.

Hmm....well, does Buddy call her Mom and does she take care of Buddy?

Sam: Yes

Then, she is Buddy's mom.  They don't have to look like each other to be family.  Families don't have to look alike.  It's okay for them to look different.

To him, this was enough of an explanation.  All of a sudden, with that simple explanation, Buddy not looking like Mrs. Pteranodon didn't mean anything more than they were two types of dinosaurs.  He accepted that it's okay for families to not look alike and that was that.  Much to my heart's relief.

However, I know there will be a day when Sam looks at us and says, "Hey, why don't we look alike?"  And, that will be the day when all those talks about adoption finally make sense.  I fervently pray that this conversation about family planted a seed that will grow fruit of great meaning for him.

Because the fact of the matter is that families are not only formed through DNA and biology.  We are a family formed through love, bound together with the scarlet thread of adoption.  It binds us together just as tightly as any strand of DNA ever could, and it is a beautiful thing.