I spent this Sunday afternoon shooting with newly 15 year old Michael. He asked me to go outside to try out the new Remington 1100 Sporting 20 that Granddaddy brought him for his birthday. What he really needed was someone to pull the skeet shooter since Mike was watching the Daytona 500. I didn't mind a bit to be out in the warm gentle breeze. But Mike couldn't resist coming out and shooting a couple off the porch himself.
Michael hit his first skeet; so did Mike; so did I ;) I haven't used my Mossberg Shotgun for anything in 3 years but hip shooting buckets across the yard ...it's like riding a bike though ...if I'd remember to pump a cartridge in, nightmarish when you click and nothing happens! We moved on to handguns. I haven't target practiced in well over a year, but had a consistent 4 inch group. My Sig P226 and me still have a good working relationship. Melody got in a few good shots too!
Right now, he's cleaning the guns; the others are watching "Les Miserables" on PBS AGAIN, and McKala's taking her first ride alone, after she helped clean them. Yes, Mike's persistence in finding 1 owner vehicles has given us TWO cars now that are PAID IN FULL! McKala got her license Friday afternoon and Michael got his permit. Four of seven are on the road now. That makes for a lot of prayer ...and staying in tune with God so that they're heard! (You don't know that our prayers can be hindered?! "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination," and "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.")
Mike took them to work with him and then to the DMV Office Friday. Leave it to cows to get out when their owners are away, so Melody and I had to finagle one back. He's unpredictable; so instead of walking with him, Melody sat in the back of the van with a bucket of sweet feed as I drove with the flashers on down the side of the road. It all went without incident and we didn't even have to call anyone for advice or help! But we didn't have time to do the last minute cleaning before Mom and Dad got here with Maggie from Georgia ('til they called from a traffice jam). You know: wiping down the microwave and around the dishwasher door, checking for cobwebs and clean sheets, picking up stray toys in and outside.
Years ago I stayed awake as long as I had to, to get everything as perfect as I could before our parents arrived in town. I just can't do it anymore. As a matter of fact, my mother pleads for me not to so that I'll be better company when they arrive. Lately, I've heard here and there people sloughing off the importance of sleep. I even know some people who follow a little catch phrase about it. It's mostly men, who don't have to produce milk for a baby nor get up with the baby throughout the night. Those things aside, simply missing an hour of sleep every evening accounts for an entire night when the week is done. So then, is it okay to drive sleepy, stunt growth, compromise immunity, nod off God knows where? What's noble about combating tiredness? You don't really think you've achieved anything when you have to caffeinate or medicate to make it through the day, do you?
And what about my personal vice, overeating to compensate for running out of steam? No matter the time I awake, about 4 every afternoon, I just plain crash. I have resolved solidly that it's not time for me to eat, but time for "church". I can't just go on Sunday and Wednesday and all the other mornings; I have to go late afternoon, too. He knows when I'm running out of Him. BUT I remember all the years of bearing young children and the temptation to eat to keep moving through my sleep deprived haze. Even statistics prove it now.
I'm short with people when I lack sleep. I care little for looking forward, rather surviving the day. AND when I'm weak in body, I'm weak in mind. When I'm deliriously sleepy, my mind wanders into places it shouldn't. I know the verse about "a little folding of the hands". I also know the verse in my favorite Old Testament book, Ecclesiastes: "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet ..." Not sure why that has to be tampered with.
I did miss some sleep in the last couple of weeks and didn't make up for it in time to prevent the condition that catches up with me everytime my body is brought under duress. It drains me down to nothing ...and as a close friend's dad views his same sickness, keeps him in check for what he's doing to himself. He turns his curse into a blessing!
This week was full of those, blessings. You see, for almost every birthday that one of our children had, there was a coinciding one. Madalynn shared her birthday with my 94 year old friend. She couldn't come over for breakfast, so we decided to pop in but her family had swooped her away for lunch already. We left what we'd brought and went on our way. Since we didn't plan any parties, even using leftover decorations and specified homemade treats by Melody, I took each child individually to the restaurant of their choice and to spend the day with anyone of their choice. Madalynn had wanted to return to Red Lobster this year and to buy a fishing pole and to have over the family of her friend, Eliza (whose own birthday party was Saturday night). Little did we know that our aged friend would call the next day saying, "Michelle, did you know that I only got roses 2 times in my life?! About 40 years ago my husband bought a bunch for me ...and now you bought me some."
I'm fully aware that Proverbs says, "Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips." But, really, this was not a burdening gift, just Walmart roses. The point is that I've asked myself and the children to distinctly set our minds to serving others. I'd borne the idea of flowers since her appreciation for them spills out into her yard, but McKala meticulously picked them out, brilliantly pink shorn up in succulent greenery. Our small deeds can make a world of difference and this time I got to taste it. Her sweet response was as much a blessing to me.
Per Michael's brainstorm, McKala's birthday meal was spent in a pizzeria in the mountains where she grew up ...with her childhood guy friend and her keeper of a girl friend she's had through her teens. They were fine to sit and talk and laugh with this mom for hours about all manner of events, beliefs, good times and bad. I couldn't ask for our daughter to have chosen better fellowship.
Michael's birthday stayed true to past years and didn't go smoothly. I'd hoped that a teammate could join him for go karting but his friend had broken his foot. He wasn't sure what he wanted as a gift and instead of wasting money, came home with nothing EXCEPT a stomach full of King Crab :) However, he DID know what he wanted his Pop to have. It's something of a joke around here about Pop (and Michael too), that he takes everything back, but Michael caught wind during their last visit that Pop wanted a Falcon's Gonzalez shirt. Michael took it upon himself to place a customized order and have it shipped to him for his birthday today!
Lastly was Macklynn's birthday. When I called his penpal's mother about surprising him, she said her son's birthday was 4 days later. So we planned a day for them of Mexican food and bowling. They hadn't seen each other since last summer. Gage is the smallest boy in his class and Macklynn would likely be the biggest. Gage's hair is sort of long and Macklynn's is really short. Gage exudes creativity and Macklynn is eccentrically practical. Gage is teased and I wish Macklynn could be there to back him up. They share something that I hope they'll keep a long, long time.
Afterwards, Macklynn and I went to spend his birthday money and when we were on the way home, he said from the backseat, "Mama, look how many presents I have!" It really wasn't much, but that he emphatically believed it was made me tear up with gladness.
The kids are growing up, exhibited by mature selflessness this week. When I returned from an appointment Wednesday, McKala had everything out of the frig, voluntarily cleaning it. The prior day she'd made a massive tent for the little ones over the 15 ft frame of the swings and played with them all afternoon. Out of the blue, Michael took Macklynn to show him how to properly use his new hatchet and Madalynn, her rod. He built them a fire and did it up right!
McKala just brought me home a Tijuana Mama from her joyride. Again, it's not much, but I know I was in her thoughts ...and I'll take that! Just like I'll take the calls from Megan and Miranda in Georgia. That they call with good news and bad, for advice or just a sounding board, during lunch breaks or late night after shifts end, makes my day - that our adult daughters consider me a confidante! I have a son who wants to shoot with me. I have a Melody who will sing with me, giving hugs that she used to withhold. I have 2 young wards left me, who should gain from all I've learned with their siblings and before they're grown, if this world's still spinning, I'll find little ones underfoot again in the natural progression of the full quiver we've been blessed with.
No comments:
Post a Comment