Family Vacation: Time Well Spent
As I lay down after a long drive back from NYC I have a few thoughts I want to jot down before I sleep. Our family just experienced a wonderful and well needed vacation. We spent time in Philadelphia, Atlantic City and New York City. I am firmly convinced time spent with family is the most important investment we can make on earth. The time I got to spend individually and collectively with Tina, Tori, Tucker and Mason are times I will fondly cherish.
I was reminded during this vacation just how incredible my family is. My wife is an amazingly patient and loving woman. I know she probably didn’t want to drive 45 minutes out of the way to watch an independent minor league baseball game or take the subway in New York as much as we did, but she didn’t complain. She is a born organizer knowing where everything was in each piece of luggage we packed. My wife exemplifies what Peter wrote when speaking about wives he said, “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” (I Peter 3:3-4, NLT)
My daughter is an absolutely amazing mother. She learned from the best. I watched her deal with Mason after hours in a car seat with such love and care, calming him down with laughter and a hug. She truly is a blend of Tina and me: the caring, patient side from her mom, the silly, crazy side from me. In both, Mason is a very lucky young man. When I see Tori interact with Mason I think of some of the words from Solomon in Proverbs 15.
“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare……Gentle words are a tree of life…..A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit…..A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health…..Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.”
My son is a leader. He takes the lead when necessary and gets things done. He is not afraid of the unknown but rather embraces it. At times when there was doubt on the part of others, he stepped up and helped make smart and rational decisions. He is an amazing young man. He loves to laugh, joke around and make others laugh, but also knows when it is time to be serious and get to work. I am so proud of the young man he has become. Solomon said that, “a wise son brings joy to his father.” That is certainly true.
Mason is such a joy. Proverbs 17:6 says that “grandchildren are the crowns of the aged,” Well, that makes me feel really old, but what Solomon meant was that grandkids are like jewels, like crowns that grandparents wear with pride. The family will live on, the things we taught our son and daughter can be passed down to another generation. That little smile, that laugh, that reaching out of his hand and saying, “C’mon Poppy” just melts my heart. At times, when scared, he would look around for Poppy, and it seemed as if as long as Popply was around, things were OK. I also learned that as Proverbs 16:9 says that man plans his steps but God directs his path is applicable to grandchildren and vacations. We had plans to do certain things at certain times, but much of that was dependent on Mason. And that was fine by me.
I also learned something about myself on this trip. I learned to be more humble. I am learning that because of age and disease I have much more limitations than I once did. I cannot do what I once could. Yes, there were times when I was my old stubborn self, but more often, I sat down when I needed to rather than try to push myself. I let others take the lead when I had trouble and allowed others to help me. I have trouble with that. I guess it’s a pride thing. But Solomon had a few things to say about that, especially, pride comes before a fall. I have fallen both figuratively and literally in recent times, but God has allowed me to get up in all circumstances and for that I am eternally grateful.
So as I lay down to sleep for a while after this long night following an amazing week, I thank God for my family. I thank Him as well for those I know were praying for our travels. I thank Him for my friends and I thank Him for my enemies. I thank Him for those who speak well of me and those who curse me. I thank Him for those who love me and those who hate me. I thank Him for strength and I thank Him for weakness. If you are reading this, you fall into one or more of the categories above, so please know, I thanked God for you before I closed my eyes in rest.
I was reminded during this vacation just how incredible my family is. My wife is an amazingly patient and loving woman. I know she probably didn’t want to drive 45 minutes out of the way to watch an independent minor league baseball game or take the subway in New York as much as we did, but she didn’t complain. She is a born organizer knowing where everything was in each piece of luggage we packed. My wife exemplifies what Peter wrote when speaking about wives he said, “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” (I Peter 3:3-4, NLT)
My daughter is an absolutely amazing mother. She learned from the best. I watched her deal with Mason after hours in a car seat with such love and care, calming him down with laughter and a hug. She truly is a blend of Tina and me: the caring, patient side from her mom, the silly, crazy side from me. In both, Mason is a very lucky young man. When I see Tori interact with Mason I think of some of the words from Solomon in Proverbs 15.
“A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare……Gentle words are a tree of life…..A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit…..A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health…..Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.”
My son is a leader. He takes the lead when necessary and gets things done. He is not afraid of the unknown but rather embraces it. At times when there was doubt on the part of others, he stepped up and helped make smart and rational decisions. He is an amazing young man. He loves to laugh, joke around and make others laugh, but also knows when it is time to be serious and get to work. I am so proud of the young man he has become. Solomon said that, “a wise son brings joy to his father.” That is certainly true.
Mason is such a joy. Proverbs 17:6 says that “grandchildren are the crowns of the aged,” Well, that makes me feel really old, but what Solomon meant was that grandkids are like jewels, like crowns that grandparents wear with pride. The family will live on, the things we taught our son and daughter can be passed down to another generation. That little smile, that laugh, that reaching out of his hand and saying, “C’mon Poppy” just melts my heart. At times, when scared, he would look around for Poppy, and it seemed as if as long as Popply was around, things were OK. I also learned that as Proverbs 16:9 says that man plans his steps but God directs his path is applicable to grandchildren and vacations. We had plans to do certain things at certain times, but much of that was dependent on Mason. And that was fine by me.
I also learned something about myself on this trip. I learned to be more humble. I am learning that because of age and disease I have much more limitations than I once did. I cannot do what I once could. Yes, there were times when I was my old stubborn self, but more often, I sat down when I needed to rather than try to push myself. I let others take the lead when I had trouble and allowed others to help me. I have trouble with that. I guess it’s a pride thing. But Solomon had a few things to say about that, especially, pride comes before a fall. I have fallen both figuratively and literally in recent times, but God has allowed me to get up in all circumstances and for that I am eternally grateful.
So as I lay down to sleep for a while after this long night following an amazing week, I thank God for my family. I thank Him as well for those I know were praying for our travels. I thank Him for my friends and I thank Him for my enemies. I thank Him for those who speak well of me and those who curse me. I thank Him for those who love me and those who hate me. I thank Him for strength and I thank Him for weakness. If you are reading this, you fall into one or more of the categories above, so please know, I thanked God for you before I closed my eyes in rest.
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