Time Flies!

We sat behind a sweet couple in church Sunday that we have know for a long time.  The husband taught David in Sunday School when he was a toddler - or should I say - held him in Sunday School while he cried!  He always talks to David and asks how he is doing.  This Sunday he asked David what grade he was in - and the look on his face was priceless when David said "5th grade".  He couldn't believe it, and then he looked at me for affirmation, like somehow it was impossible that the little boy who cried on his lap for 2 straight years is now in his last year of Elementary School.  I have had no less than 3 people say to me in the last few days "David is in 5th grade?  No way!"  It's hard for me to believe that he is in 5th grade myself.  Time really has flown by.

There is something about having one child beginning Elementary School and one child ending this year that has made me appreciate this milestone in our family.  I know that Middle School changes everything, so I am appreciating each moment of growth we have with David this year.  It also has been a time of reflection for me.  Have we taught him to be responsible?  Has he learned the skills needed to succeed in school without me checking on him?  I have always been proud of David.  He picks good friends, is thoughtful and kind, and still likes to hang out with us - his parents.  For that, I am truly grateful.  I know before long I'll be sending him off to college, but for now I'm thankful the thing he looks forward to most is watching Star Wars on Friday night with his family.  And to be honest, it's the one thing I look forward to most as well.

Opening Day of Flag Football!

Today was opening day for David's flag football fall season!  We had to play a double-header beginning at 9 a.m.  The weather was beautiful - cloudy and breezy - and awesome break from the oppressive heat we have been enduring.  David and his best friend from Kindergarten, Keegan, always do a fall sport together.  The are the best of friends and the best of teammates - they always have each other's back.  David quarterbacked most of both games and we won both!  He made some awesome throws and even intercepted a pass and ran the entire length of the field for a touchdown!  He scored another touchdown and Keegan ran - and that kid can run - for several touchdowns for our team and intercepted a pass for a length-of-the-field touchdown himself!  It was an awesome beginning to another great season!  Afterward the kids got to jump in the bouncy houses and grab some snacks.  Both grandparents were there as well.  It was a really special day!

Grace and accountability

We have had a contractor at our house the last few days working on our chimney.  In the process of what he is fixing, he has managed to leave tools and debris all over our yard, damage our gutters and ruin a piece of brand new patio furniture on our deck.  My husband extends a lot of grace to people, but this one has irked him.  In addition to what we are paying our contractor, we are now going to have to buy a new chair and pay to fix our gutters.  After much thought and debate with me, he decided to deduct the cost of the chair from what we are paying him. It's not that I didn't agree that something needed to be done, but I was unsure what to do.  Where exactly is the line between forgiveness of a mistake and holding someone accountable?

I posed this question to David yesterday.  "What would you do if you were Daddy" I asked him. What surprised me were the questions he asked before he answered - how much are we paying the contractor, how much did the chairs cost, is Dad going to have to replace the gutters, how bad is the damage?  All these were thoughtful questions and I was proud of him.  But then I related it to what he is going through in 5th grade.  They work off the check system - you forget a book in your locker, you get a check mark.  You forget a paper at home, you get a check mark, etc.  All these checks are then reported to the parents at the end of the week.  "What if you forgot your Science book in your locker and the teacher decided to extend some grace and not give you a check?"  "Yeah right" was his answer.  "I wish" he said.  "But what if they did that and you continued to forget your Science book, day after day, disrupting the class and delaying the lesson?  Do you think you would ever learn to remember your book if you didn't pay a price" I asked.  "Probably not" he responded.

God did the same thing for us.  Jesus paid the ultimate price for our mistakes, but we have a responsibility to accept what he did, or not.

Back to the contractor situation.  My husband never ceases to amaze me in his optimism for people and their ability to change.  He truly wanted our contractor to learn from this mistake.  He told me that if the contractor is doing this here at our house, most likely he is doing this at every job and he is going to lose money.  He wanted him to get better, so he had a heart to heart with him after the job was done. He told him he was deducting the amount of the chair from the total, but gave him some constructive criticism to help him get better.  I was very proud of my husband, and the contractor was apologetic and took it very well.  Rick wants to give him more work, but wants him to get better so he can hire him again.

Grace, it's such a beautiful thing when used in a loving way.  So is accountability.  We can learn so much by practicing both.