Listening

Where would I be if I hadn’t been lead to Christ? LOST, that’s where. There has been a lot of tears and mucus running today. Madilynn has always had a way of breaking me down. How can a child so small and so innocent literally “blow up” all the granite built up in a grown man’s heart? I guess it only takes a little stick of dynamite.

It’s been rough. It’s been rough on my wife. It’s been rough on my kids. I don’t want to sound like a whiner because I couldn’t get through some of the things that our friends in Iowa have been going through with their new baby. Praise God for strong Christian men like James Carlat. Yet the act of balancing life, family, and work has been really tough. I sit here barely able to get through this note. I’m a mess today. I guess it’s an every two year thing or maybe I’ve slowed down just enough to listen. In the past two years we’ve lost family members, gained a new member (thank goodness Elizabeth looks like her mommy as well), graduated ISU, got a job at USU, celebrated 5 years of marriage, and moved approximately 1,312 miles from our families.

What provoked this random blurb was on the way to pre-school this morning “Lead Me” by Sanctus Real (Men, I challenge you to sit still in a quiet place and listen) was on the radio and Madilynn was singing along. I was in awe. She is going to be 4 years old this year (in 21 days). Not a baby anymore, not a toddler but a little girl who is a free spirit, a random act of kindness, a social butterfly, a beautiful child. She is going to pre-school for crying out loud. One of my colleagues at work was impressed by how well she can speak clearly and talk in complete sentences. What’s next, college then medical school? Thank the lord she has her mother’s smarts and looks. I still pray she accepts Christ as her savior and follows Him all of her days. We talk about Christ living in her heart. I still pray she marries a godly husband and remembers the things we teach her. I cherish reading her the bible at bedtime and praying with her. I wanted to give a shout out to all the grandparents for raising us right. I hope that it gets passed on. Friends thank you for your kindness. Darius Rucker said it pretty well in his song “it won’t be like this for long.” Watch out you might just miss the point trying to win the race. You might even be running the wrong race.

“Life’s not the breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away” ~ George Straight, “Breath you take”

Thanks everyone for listening to me and Happy Birthday, Madilynn. I love you so much.