Giving Thanks: My Boys

Nothing could have prepared me for the joy of being a mom to boys. Nothing. They have energy, curiosity, creativity, and intrigue that leave me breathless from trying to keep up, breathless from laughing so hard, and breathless from momentary shock over an accident, injury, or ill-devised plan.

From the moment my boys awake in the morning to the moment the sheets are tugged up over them at night, they are going at full-speed. And from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to bed, I am overwhelmed with the magnitude of raising little boys to be big men who know, love, and serve Jesus. It's a privilege that carries intense responsibility and there's not a moment of my day that it escapes my thoughts.

And, for reasons beyond my limited guessing and wondering, God has chosen to gift me with a third little boy. Another small person who will, most likely, join his brothers in wrestling when he shouldn't, yell when it's inappropriate, touch when it's impolite, crash when it's time to be quiet, get dirty when it's time to be clean... and hug when my spirit is down, whisper when my heart needs it most, laugh when I think the joke is over, and reflect God's creative design of boyhood bursting into manhood and the complicated wonder that process involves.

Grady Lee...

Your nine months of growing in me were difficult. Nothing about carrying you was easy and nothing about bringing you into this world was textbook. From the moment of knowing you were there, I began to learn that being a mom is about refining my heart to trust an all-knowing God who knows you, cares for you, and loves you infinitely more than I do or ever will.

You have an intense desire to experience life to the fullest. Each moment means something. You laugh loud, play hard, work with purpose... and let's not overlook that you even eat and sleep with fervor! From the outside looking in, you've been dealt some difficult cards to manage in the game of life. Some things about how your mind processes, how your body responds, and what your senses tell you make simple tasks really difficult tasks. But you are developing persistence to keep trying and learning, and that's all anyone could ever ask of you. And, I know that while your frustration level on some days is really high, you know that God made you and loves you and will help you.

I am developing patience and an open-handedness as I relate to you and see you as a little boy full of talent and ambition and purpose for things far beyond the scope of just our family. Thank you for reminding me that God is God and I am not. God's purposes are always good and he finds the most delight in us when we are most satisfied in him.

Micah David...

You are one month shy of turning six and your knowledge, wit, and ability to reason are far beyond what I could have imagined. You walk to the beat of your own drum and do so with delight. You think independently and are content to make your own decisions. While you're not one to argue for the sake of arguing, you enjoy a good spirited, ahem, discussion. You have thoughts and ideas and like to articulate them and bring them full circle to be sure everyone around you understands.

You breeze through your schoolwork and it's a task for me to keep you motivated and challenged. Learning comes easily for you and I'm amazed at how quickly new concepts cement in your mind and take root. You don't enjoy "school" but thrive on new chances to learn. In other words, when you're presented with context and a broader meaning to things, you learn with focus and excitement.

Because of you, I'm working on being more open-minded to how things are done. Thank you for helping to remind me that God hasn't painted life in mute tones, but in a pallet of brilliant colors. You have a colorful approach to life, and I'm buckled in for the whirlwind ride of watching you be you and influence others with God's gift of creativity and perspective.

My two little men (soon to be three little men!) are my treasures. My delight and my joy. I'm gifted beyond measure with the privilege of being their mom. Most days I don't have a clue what it means to raise boys and show them how to be godly men. But, with a thankful heart, I have a Heavenly Father willing to use my faults and failures and imperfections to help me guide these little men in the ways of knowing, loving, and serving Him.

And that's what I'm most thankful for.

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."