How did you spend the last day of your 20’s?
You were woken up by a cranky, still sleepy, diapered little
boy who just wanted his “Dada.” Not in
bed, but on the couch because you have
this terrible cough and, well, you know this mama needs her rest. For that I love you all the more.
They don’t happen often, nights we don’t sleep side by side,
and when they do I miss you terribly.
But those nights remind me of this precious gift we have and how many
lonely nights I waited for a best friend to share the quiet still of the night
with. Now I get to share them with you
and I couldn’t be more thankful.
It was a simple morning and I made you eggs with peppers and
ham and cheese, but you were too captivated by the view out the window to know
your plate was waiting for you. Because
on the other side was our growing-up-too-fast boy, the boy that made us a mama
and dada, who redefined who we were, just enjoying the fresh air and shooting
his bow for his proud father to see. You
do that you know? You slow down to see
the moments that so many are too busy to take notice to and you soak them
in.
When it was time, you put on those dust stained jeans,
buckled your worn leather belt and readied for work. Today you happened to wear the original
rust-orange “Burkholder Construction” sweatshirt from all those years ago. It’s still hanging in there with not too much
wear and tear. I’m not sure how. You kissed me, told me you loved me and made
your way out the door to make a way for our family. We do notice.
We don’t take your calloused hands for granted.
The dust bothered your throat, yet you carried on. In your working and searching for tools you
found the sign of bees and went after your trap. You took a moment to enjoy the wonder of it
all – the buzzing of the bees, the signs of spring, the things that Farmer
taught you – and then you ran for the forgotten cobbler. Just in time, and perfectly done, you pulled
it out of the oven to help the woman whose faith you have inherited.
As you were there and we were here, we prayed for you and
loved you and spoke of your upcoming day.
That sweet baby girl of yours, she wants to get you fake eyelashes for
your birthday. I’m certain if I allowed
it, those would out-do the nail clippers she got you for Christmas. She’s the most unique person I’ve ever met
and mysterious in most of her ways. But
she knows whose arms will lift her high for one more dance and she loves you
“to shreds.”
It was time for you to leave work but not before stopping at
the nearby farm to return a tool. And
there, you took the time to be an uncle.
A fun, loving uncle who plays in the mud and messes the sidewalk with chalk
because it’s who you are to them and they love you so. That little mud-covered hand held close to
his face and of course you pushed it all the closer, and then you let him play
the joke on you. Boys being boys. You being wonderful you.
You came home early enough to catch up with me, with mud on
your forehead you walked through the door, quietly as to not wake the sleeping
babe. But he knows his Daddy’s steps and
his smile was wide and he climbed right up your dust-covered self to wrap his
arms tight around your neck. He squeezed
with all his might and lingered there with you.
It was a beautiful day today, a day that makes you beg for
spring to break the cold, that reminds you that there is a break-through right
around the corner. They came running in
to find you because more than anything they wanted someone to throw them the
ball. Out you went and from behind the
walls I could hear the ping of the bat, the whoops and hollers of a homerun,
the laughter and joy of a Daddy playing ball with his children. Somehow, as we hurry to get from one thing to
the next, you have this way of making time for the things that matter the
most. Somehow, you know when the time is
needed and when the time is right.
I had to leave and you watched over this house full of
blessings that we call our own. You
served them dinner, dished out cake and fumbled your way through “Detectives In
Togas.” When I returned, our home was
dimly lit and you were still hushing the littlest to sleep. Oh, how blessed I am to be yours and to have
you as mine. You came walking down and
could only muster one word: “kids.”
Yeah, they are exhausting but you are so good at raising them up
right.
As the night fell, we took the time to just plain be. You kissed away my tears and reminded me of
the strength we have in the One who is Faithful. And we laughed…hard.
Tomorrow you will be 30 and soon enough we will look back
and think of how young this age is, even though it feels drastically old right
now. And as we do, I pray that the rain will have poured. I pray that our nights are filled with the steady beat on a tin roof.
May your character be known as a man of valor, a man who not
only knows the Truth, but who responds to it.
May you always take the time to savor the moments and never let them
pass you by. May you never settle for less than God’s best, know who He has
called you to be and pursue it with all your heart. By the grace of God may you say “no” to
ungodliness and worldly passions, and live a self-controlled, upright and godly
life. May you become wiser than the wise
old sages simply by doing what God tells you.
May you build things that last forever as you willingly lay down
yourself for His use. And may you always
know how very much you are loved.
Always.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all
men. It teaches us to say “No” to
ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and
godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the
glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself
for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that
are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
Titus 2:11-14
