Bug-a-Boo

On Sunday, our second born, Luke, will turn 10!  A decade old!  Wow! I am thinking about Luke and wanting to share some life lessons I have learned from being his mom for the past ten years.

1. Dive in without regret! 

 Luke has always gone full force, 100% of the time. No holds bar....no regrets! He is full of energy, full of fire and full of spunk. He comes at you with full force running. He teaches me to just dive in, give it all, don't hold back.

   "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..."

Colossians 3:23

2. After you puke, just keep on going. 

When he was a baby, Luke's nickname was "Lukey Pukey". The kid would down a bottle, look up at me with those big brown eyes, smile, and then puke all over. After puking, he would want down and be on the go again. Luke still uses this pattern today. On the way home from Africa, he got sick enroute from London to Chicago. By the time they arrived in Chicago he was running down the airport hallway to the nearest bathroom to puke again. Doug tells the story that he comes out of the bathroom, looks at Doug and says, "Can I have Pizza Hut?" 

 "Even if good people fall seven times, they will get back up.  But when trouble strikes the wicked, that's the end of them."

 Proverbs 24:16

3. In the morning, when you wake up, lay on the people you love.

Alright, this one doesn't happen as much as it used to, but when Luke was younger he used to wake up in the morning, come straight to my side of the bed, crawl under the covers, and lay flat on my body. Full body contact. Head to my chest. Toes to my toes. I loved those moments. It reminded me how blessed I was to have a little boy who wanted to cuddle. It brought me warmth in the morning. It made me sweat, but allowed me to smell his little boy hair and touch his rough little boy fingers. It reminded me that I am loved.

"My dear friends, we must love each other.  Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life.  We are now God's children, and we know him."

1 John 4:7

4. Get mad!

I remember a time at my hometown pool. We were back on vacation. Kids were swimming. An old friend who used to babysit for us stopped by our area to chat. He asked where my kids were and I pointed out Kobe in the big pool and Faith in the baby pool. My friend looked behind me at Luke standing in the corner pouting and said, "Oh man...he has to be yours! You used to do the same thing when you were little!"  Luke gets mad! He shows his emotions. He will stomp up the steps and slam the door. He will shout at his sister from the top of his lungs. He will throw a ball or throw over a chair. Of course the Bible teaches us to be "slow to anger". Verses are evident to support our need to control our temper. But, having the anger in us can show passion. It can foster persistence. It can build a desire to fight. Sometimes getting mad is exactly what a person needs to do to push them into action. Sometimes it is what we need to remind us to fight. Getting mad and channeling that passion for the Lord...now that could be a winning combination.

He is ten years old. He is full of spunk. He gives his all. He showers me with love. He has been to Africa to serve orphans! Oh my...what will the next ten years bring? What is God's wonderful plan for our little bug-a-boo? Thank you Jesus for giving me the front row seat!

         

LOVE YOU LUKE!