Last weekend, we hosted the family reunion at our house. Over 50 people, all ages, stages, and sizes laughed, loved, and ate, ate, ATE! On Sunday, we did "family church" in our living room and guess who was asked to use her talent on the piano...Hillary. She gladly agreed, even though she had no idea what she might be asked to play. As aunts, uncles, and cousins looked on, she struggled to take hymn requests that she had never even heard before. I have to admit, I was stressing for her! But she stayed calm and collected, told the people to just keep singing and she would follow along, and within a couple of times, had it down.
And speaking of talents...her youth pastor had challenged the youth group to find a way to give money for missions the next week. The goal was $20. They weren't supposed to ask their parents for it. They were to use a talent they had to earn the money. Hillary decided to take pictures at the family reunion and sell them for donations. She spent hours buzzing around...including everyone in at least one shot, and often stopping whatever fun thing she was doing to capture a moment that some relative thought might be camera-worthy. Before everyone left, she had the discs burned and ready to go. And she proudly deposited over $160 in the youth group jar the next Wednesday night!
And today, when the youth pastor and his family came over for dinner, she and Hayden (who graduated in May) sat at the table with us old folks while the younger kids chose to eat downstairs in front of the TV and video game. She listened with interest, and made insightful comments, discussing deep things, including politics and the sharing of her faith with others.
Parenting can feel like such a long journey. Some of it is fun...and some of it is not. We may not have arrived but we are definitely closer to "reaching the goal."
4 comments:
i am so envious of your parenting abilities- i can only strive to be half the parent you have become!!
you and yancy have done a wondrful job as mom and dad. you have two amazing young people to call daughter and son. i know that you already know that, but, i just wanted to tell you anyway. you both deserve a reward for the best parents ever. brenda
Raising kids is like raising a garden. You dig into the soil, plant seeds that you want to see grow, then pull weeds, so the tender plants won't get smothered out. Then you throw a little fertilizer under the plants to support their growth, and water it in with your tears. Then the reward comes when you see God producing fruit in their lives. I believe you have a green thumb for parenting. MOM
Well, mom, I hope I have a better knack for parenting than I do gardening...considering I kill every plant you bring me! ha
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