Refusing to be Pigeonholed, Pegged, or Pinned

This time tomorrow I will have been the proud mother of the most wonderful fella in the world for two decades! The time has certainly flown. He is such an amazing young man. He is complex and complicated with a very tender heart. I will never forget the first moment I held him in my arms, how he smelled, how felt and how my heart expanded to feel a depth of love I have never known. From the moment his blinking, little eyes grasped mine, I was forever in love!

When I try to categorize him or describe him, this is difficult. I often say to others who inquire about him, "He is just so amazing, you have to meet him. He is very independent and unique."(Some would even say he is "Fearfully and Wonderfully made). Both of my children are unique paradoxes and quite strong-willed in their own right.

From the day of his birth, Tyler has been defying our predictions and refusing to allow us to pigeonhole or peg him. I recall thinking I was in labor--though it was two weeks early--and making a 2:00 p.m. visit to my doctor. He assured me that it would be several more days. WRONG! It was only several more hours. After disappointedly going home to wait for a few more days, Tyler decided to make his arrival only 6 hours later at 8:35 p.m. We were hardly at the hospital long enough to settle in, until we were holding a 6lb 3oz, 19 in long beautiful boy! This was only the first surprise of the evening, because we were told that Tyler would be a girl! WRONG! The ultrasounds twenty years ago were really good, but not a accurate as those of today, and Tyler (true to form) never gave us a great view as to his gender. So, my doctor's best prediction was a girl. We scrambled to change the "Cabbage Patch Doll" themed nursery to a circus theme ASAP. (The circus theme seemed appropriate since Tyler was quite the clown. Grandma Susan and Paw Paw Ronnie's first gift to him was a porcelain clown doll.)

Through the years, Tyler has continued to be his own person. He has always been so independent and has never allowed others to choose his path for him. This fact has been the source of my greatest joy and my greatest frustration at times. Watching him as he won the countywide silver medal for wrestling in middle school and the tenacity he displayed always astounded me. He was only pinned once by someone he had pinned earlier. What a determination!

So, this is my boy! He won't be be pigeonholed, pegged or pinned. He continues to surprise us and to forge his own path. I am thankful that this path is forged with God. I am also thankful that the tenacity and firm grip that he has on his own course is the same one he has in his faith. For certainly, there is no love I want more for Tyler than for him to be in love with The King of Kings.  Happy birthday my precious, Tyler! When did you grow so fast?

Hebrews 22-25 So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.

My Phone Call from Paris

C.S. Lewis once said, "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art...It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.". I believe this to be true. As the child of a pastor, I was blessed with many priceless things: being a witness to faith in action, having many varied life experiences which have served to make me more tolerate, the chance to see all kinds of people and realize that at the heart of it all, we really all have the same needs. I am so thankful for these many blessings and so much more. However, one of the things, I did not get (although it turned out to be one of the greatest blessings) was the luxury of "staying put" in one place for very long. As a PK (preacher's kid), you often are transient. This was certainly our story. I attended six schools by the time I was in the fourth grade. As one could guess, this isn't the perfect scenario for making friends. As was the case, it seemed I was constantly introducing myself to someone and proving myself to someone else. As a very shy child, this wasn't much to my enjoyment or comfort, but it did prove to make me stronger.

Being of the female gender, we tend to form cliques more readily (which I still hate with a passion). I, unfortunately, was usually not top in the clique list in elementary school due to the fact that everyone had already formed some type of social group by the time I arrived. This was a sincere source of hurt as a child and something that I work hard as a teacher to remedy, today. I hated feeling like I was on the outside looking in or a spectator on the sidelines. I want all children (young ones and adult ones) to have a sense of belonging. This being the case, I spent a lot of nights praying for my own "best" friend. I have always been blessed in abundance with a wonderful family, but almost every little girl wants and needs her own best friend. I sometimes wondered when God would answer this prayer. It wasn't immediate or even in elementary school, but the good news is He does answer prayer in His timing--which is perfect.

Today, I got a precious phone call from Paris, and my mind was flooded with these childhood memories and my earnest prayers for a "best friend" of my own. I was reminded again at how this prayer had come to fruition in such a tender way. God granted me more than I could ask or even hope. The sweetest, dearest lady...MY very best friend greeted me on the other line as she ALWAYS does when she is out of the country. In the sixteen years that I have loved her she has never ceased to ask me to join her on everyone of her many mission trips (too many to count now), and when I can't go...she brings me along via phone and by reliving each exciting account and detail with me when she returns. She has called me from Sudan, Israel, Mombasa, Nicaragua; and yes, Paris where we have strolled down many rues eating decadent crepes together! She has called me to cry, to laugh, to rejoice, to ask me to pray or encourage her faith; and she has called to remind me of our friendship. 

So, yes...God does answer prayers perfectly and in His timing, and my sweet reminder today was gift wrapped all the way from Paris, and begin with "Lisa, Hey Chickie! This is Wanda. We're in Paris. Can you talk? I want to hear about you and share some exciting things God is doing. " These words are always faithful to come, simplistic to my ears and priceless to my heart!

“We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindness there is at last one which makes the heart run over. ”

Dr. Samuel Johnson