Peek-A-Boo

A lot of little odds & ends today but nothing of real focus. It happens and I feel kind of out of kilter today since Jake was home sick yesterday. So, in writing something now, it feels more like a Monday instead of Tuesday. Here's just some quick hits of what's pinging around in the ol' noggin this morning...

Jake was sick Sunday night / early Monday morning. There's nothing like waking up from a deep sleep to hear your son crying out in anguish and as you race upstairs, you nearly fall forward into what has caused him such pain. Yuck. To make matters worse (for me), my wife cannot stand foul odors (and she's a doctor??) so whenever there's a "mess" to clean up, I get handed a mop, the Resolve carpet cleaner AND the dirty sheets, towels clothes and child. Thankfully, even though I get nauseous at sights AND smells, I can most of the time go to that "happy place" inside my mind and block things out. Thank God for mental images of cartoons, comic books and playing a killer round of golf.

I stomped this weekend at Fantasy Football. I scored 115 points, which I think is a first for our league. Actually, one of my friends, Dave, may have hit over 100 earlier this year so I can't claim all-time high scorer just yet. But I had a couple of players who literally erupted for a plethora of scoring points, catapulting me not only to a win but this week's high score. Not too many guys like me right now but it's often lonely at the top.

What's that proverb? "Pride cometh before the fall"? Ahh, I retract that last statement then.

I took the kids to the Razorback game on Saturday. It was Jake's first time at an Arkansas football game and by the second touchdown, he was already calling the Hogs. It was a moment that made a daddy proud. We were lucky to get 3 seats on the bottom section since we did the last minute walk-up and bought some tix from a guy off the street. We only stayed for the first half though because Jake was getting restless and started doing the early stages of the "potty dance". Considering how we were sitting in the middle of a section and would have to keep climbing over people all around us, I convinced the kids going home at halftime would be a good thing. Turned out I was right. It was a blowout game where the Hogs beat lowly SE Missouri 63-7 and both kids were quickly getting bored with the game.

Last thing...

I got in bed with the kids last night as Kaitlyn read us all a bedtime Bible story. As I lay there with the boy snuggled up next to me, I had my eyes shut and knew Jake's head was mere inches from mine. I barely opened my eye to sneek a peek at him and I saw his eyes squinted shut and a huge teethy grin on his face. Then his eyes snuck open to get a peek at me, at which point, we both began to giggle at each other.

And then it hit me.

I wonder if Joseph ever had those kind of moments with Jesus. Can you imagine something so precious? As we all know how impish and mischevious little boys can be, mine being no exception, I wondered if Jesus ever acted like that with His earthly daddy. I can just see our Savior as a little boy, playing peek-a-boo or pretending to be asleep yet barely able to contain His grin & excitement. I knew the love and gratitude I felt for Jake last night as we continued our game of fake sleeping and giggling. I gave God a quiet, inward prayer of thanks and praise.

In some of the more simplest of things in life, God reveals Himself to me. He does that for all of us if we're careful enough to look for it. Thank the Lord that the God we serve, the One who is mighty to save and deliver, the One who created the heavens and the earth, can STILL come down to our level and be that still small voice that resonates within and tells us

"I love you".

Thanks God...for reminding me that You are our Father, that we are Your children and that You love us. Thank you for reminding us that no matter what we are going through, regardless of how big or small things are, YOU are there. We know this to be true. When we as little children play peek-a-boo with You, wondering if You are listening or watching us, if we quiet ourselves and wait, we will always be reminded and see that You never leave us.

You never sleep, You never slumber. You always have our best interests in hand. When we are weak, You are strong. When we are tossed about onthe waves of chaos, You take us to a Rock of peace. When we feel alone the most, it is then You are closest.

God, You are awesome!!!