If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
Matthew 16:26
Last week, while attending a mom's group at church, I had the privilege of hearing a guest speaker from Haiti. Jackie, a 21 year old professional dancer, spent about an hour telling us 'his story.'
When his mom became pregnant with him, his dad walked out. His mom moved to the city, in hopes of finding a better life. She got married to another man, and had 3 more kids. Years later, his dad contracted AIDS, and so did his mom, and their newborn baby. At 11, he was orphaned, and left to care for his 3 younger siblings. After living on the streets for many years, he finally found refuge in a Christian boys home. It was at this home that his life was changed. He recieved proper care, shelter, and education. He started dancing, and eventually became a professional dancer, traveling the world. God took him from the streets, to the stage, and in return, he has dedicated his life to giving back to others. He currently runs a home in Haiti for children/adults with disabilities.
His story and passion was enough to get anyone thinking, but honestly, it wasn't until he talked about living on the streets that God really began to tug at my heart. Jackie said that it was on the streets that he learned what he needed to know in life. It was during this difficult part of his life that he learned how to respect people, love others, and lean on God.
Tears rolled down my face, as Jackie talked about living on the streets. I tried to put myself in his shoes, and for the life of me, I couldn't wrap my spoiled brain around what it would be like to have absolutely nothing. To be fatherless, motherless, homeless, dirty, hungry, and uneducated...with little hope that things would change. But HE SAID, it was during THIS TIME that he learned to be most....Like Christ.
Sometimes I wonder about the faith of those of us who have a lot. Specifically those of us who live in country, where we want so much stuff, and want it now....and a lot of it. Most of us have never had to lean on Christ the way Jackie did on the streets. We have never had to pray that God will provide for our next piece of bread. We have never been in such a hopeless state. I am very thankful for the abundant life God has provided for me and my family on Earth. However, as I am constantly tempted to want more, I hear God's caution: "and what do you benefit if you gain the whole world, and lose your soul." Thanks Jackie, for your reminder of God's grace, love, and loyalty to those he calls, His.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Decisions....Decisions
The past month has been jammed packed with events. First, my computer broke. We all know how that can impact your life, and especially your blog. I still don't have it back, so for now, Chris' little Dell is going to have to do. The holidays flew by as everyone in our house got sick, one at the time, but also overlapping. Luckily, I was the only one sick on Christmas. Somehow, I still packed on the lbs. I wondered how I was going to lose some weight, but then got hit in the head with a bat (teaching a softball lesson). I fractured 2 bones in my face, and had 2 solid breaks. I had surgery last week. Next time, I think I am going to try the diet and exercise route.
Probably the most interesting part of the month, was Mattox (my 3 year old) was diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder. Luckily, it is pretty minor, but nonetheless, initially rocked my world. I have known for a while that something was unusual with Mattox. My gut told me so, but everyone around me seemed to chalk it up to him being 3. Finally, his teacher encouraged me to get him evaluated. That was all I needed. Someone who saw what I saw. I went into crazy parent mode. Ever been there? I knew getting an evaluation would be hard to get with the year coming to an end, and I needed to get him in for insurance purposes. I called the recommended place every day to get an appointment. Finally, she "squeezed me in." She tested his expressive and receptive language skills, among other things. He scored well above average (yes, my chin is high and I am proud....the numbers indicate he is very bright.) lol It was that therapist, who recommended getting an occupational evaluation. In early January, I got introduced to the world of sensory integration....a world I didn't even know existed. Finally, I had answers. We have a plan and we are working our plan, excited to see improvement (which we already have).
One of the things we are working on, is Mattox's ability to copy a picture, block structure, etc. His ability to look at something and copy it. Apparently this is a skill that crosses over into some one's ability to problem solve and assimilate properly into a social setting. Anyway, one day, as we were working on it in therapy, I found myself saying, "no Mattox, it goes there, buddy." The therapist finally said something that has had a profound effect on me. She said, "Lauren, it is important, even if you know that he is going to put it in the wrong place, to let him get it wrong. He needs to see the final product of his work." Sure enough, the next time he got it wrong, I didn't say anything immediately. Then I heard Mattox say, "Is that the same? Noooo. It's not. It's different." Then we asked him questions that prompted him to make the right changes.
Wow. What a lesson. How often, as parents, do we rush into our kids decision making, and stop them from making a bad decision. How often do we step in, when in reality, we should let them make a decision and actually get to see the outcome of their decision? If you are like me, probably not often. If you are like me, you have finished your kid's pictures because what they started looked nothing like a truck. Or, you wiped off the water paints because they kept mixing the colors, instead of letting them see what happens when colors are mixed. If you have older kids, you probably made note cards for them to study, because you knew they wouldn't do it themselves, and you didn't want them to fail... I think about how hard this is as a parent, to sit back and let your child make a mistake and analyze it for themselves. I pray, as my children grow, that I will let them make decisions that are both good and bad. I pray that I will instill in them, the values needed to determine if their decision was right or wrong. And I pray, that at the end of the day, they will be good decision makers. In the mean time, I am trying to remind myself that becoming a good decision maker takes practice....and that it isn't ALWAYS appropriate for me to rush in and make a decision for them. That's one thing I'VE learned in occupational therapy. :)
Probably the most interesting part of the month, was Mattox (my 3 year old) was diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder. Luckily, it is pretty minor, but nonetheless, initially rocked my world. I have known for a while that something was unusual with Mattox. My gut told me so, but everyone around me seemed to chalk it up to him being 3. Finally, his teacher encouraged me to get him evaluated. That was all I needed. Someone who saw what I saw. I went into crazy parent mode. Ever been there? I knew getting an evaluation would be hard to get with the year coming to an end, and I needed to get him in for insurance purposes. I called the recommended place every day to get an appointment. Finally, she "squeezed me in." She tested his expressive and receptive language skills, among other things. He scored well above average (yes, my chin is high and I am proud....the numbers indicate he is very bright.) lol It was that therapist, who recommended getting an occupational evaluation. In early January, I got introduced to the world of sensory integration....a world I didn't even know existed. Finally, I had answers. We have a plan and we are working our plan, excited to see improvement (which we already have).
One of the things we are working on, is Mattox's ability to copy a picture, block structure, etc. His ability to look at something and copy it. Apparently this is a skill that crosses over into some one's ability to problem solve and assimilate properly into a social setting. Anyway, one day, as we were working on it in therapy, I found myself saying, "no Mattox, it goes there, buddy." The therapist finally said something that has had a profound effect on me. She said, "Lauren, it is important, even if you know that he is going to put it in the wrong place, to let him get it wrong. He needs to see the final product of his work." Sure enough, the next time he got it wrong, I didn't say anything immediately. Then I heard Mattox say, "Is that the same? Noooo. It's not. It's different." Then we asked him questions that prompted him to make the right changes.
Wow. What a lesson. How often, as parents, do we rush into our kids decision making, and stop them from making a bad decision. How often do we step in, when in reality, we should let them make a decision and actually get to see the outcome of their decision? If you are like me, probably not often. If you are like me, you have finished your kid's pictures because what they started looked nothing like a truck. Or, you wiped off the water paints because they kept mixing the colors, instead of letting them see what happens when colors are mixed. If you have older kids, you probably made note cards for them to study, because you knew they wouldn't do it themselves, and you didn't want them to fail... I think about how hard this is as a parent, to sit back and let your child make a mistake and analyze it for themselves. I pray, as my children grow, that I will let them make decisions that are both good and bad. I pray that I will instill in them, the values needed to determine if their decision was right or wrong. And I pray, that at the end of the day, they will be good decision makers. In the mean time, I am trying to remind myself that becoming a good decision maker takes practice....and that it isn't ALWAYS appropriate for me to rush in and make a decision for them. That's one thing I'VE learned in occupational therapy. :)
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