MORE!!!

When my son was a baby, I remember reading an article which claimed that teaching babies sign language would speed their language development. As an insecure young mom, the idea of having a super-smart baby appealed to me, so we tried it. It wasn't long before our baby was proficient at several signs. I still remember him sitting in his high chair touching his tiny fingers together repeatedly, signing "MORE! MORE!" (I think we overdid it a little -- now he's almost eleven and never stops talking).

Just yesterday, we returned from a week's vacation. I think the theory behind vacations is that you are supposed to come back rested. I always come back feeling depressed. I want to stay on vacation. I want MORE.

I have a rather unhealthy relationship with food. When I'm eating something tasty, even before I swallow the last bite, I'm already thinking, "I want MORE!"

When I finish a good book, I often feel sad. I want MORE.

I love a Facebook game called Bejeweled Blitz. There is a certain thrill in the crashing explosions as you match colorful jewels into tidy lines. I like watching my name crawl up the high score tally each week. But even if I have a spectacular game and land in the number one spot for the week, I often click through for "just one more" game. I want MORE. (This is just one of the reasons why I refuse to gamble -- I don't trust my self-control).

Earlier this summer I enjoyed a hike in the woods by myself. But I found myself getting frustrated, because I knew that all too soon I would have to return. There just wasn't enough time to truly relax. I wanted MORE!

In so many ways, I am like that tiny baby. I am clenching my fists together at God and signing, "MORE! MORE!"

I wonder what He is thinking when He sees me like that? Is He ashamed of my gluttony? Of my selfish ways? Perhaps. But I don't remember looking at my son in that way when he waved his little baby hands my way.

So, I'm hoping that maybe -- just maybe --  He smiles an all-knowing Fatherly smile. Does He long to scoop me up in His arms and say, "Ah, you think THAT is good, child? Just wait until you see the treasures I have waiting for you when you finally get home!"

While I try to fix my mind on that, I will continue to pray for contentment. Do hear me God? I want MORE contentment. (Just kidding. I'm really just praying that He will shape my heart so that it longs for more of Him and less of me. See John 3:13, "He must become greater, I must become less.")

So, what is it that has you signing, "MORE?"

Baptism Joy!

I've been taking some time off from blogging this summer -- but today I can't resist "crowing" with joy. My 10 (almost 11) year old son has decided to be baptized on Sunday. I'm so proud, I could nearly burst. In honor of this exciting event, I've decided to re-post one of my favorite stories about my son. I posted it back in February, but it may be new to some of you. This kid is so special to my heart -- the things he says sometimes just break me into millions of pieces. This was one of those stories.

"Jesus is the Tape"

Mom? Mom?!" I heard the cry coming from the back door and wafting out across the lawn to where I was peacefully pruning our rosebushes in the quiet afternoon. I felt a flicker of irritation. What do you need, now? Can't you see I'm trying to get something done?

My ten-year old son came bounding across the lawn, excitement radiating from his face. I clip a few more thorny branches before standing up to look at him. "What?" I ask, my voice probably a little sharper than I intended.

"Mom, guess what!" He held up his latest craft project. He had taken a small dowel rod and taped a pencil eraser to the end of it to make a rubber-tipped spear. "Mom, I just realized -- my spear is like Jesus!"

I pushed the hair out of my eyes to look at his creation more closely. "How do you figure?"

He held up the spear for me to see clearly. He pointed to the shaft. "The stick is like God. Strong and powerful."

"Okay..."

He pointed at the tip. "The point is us."

"Uh-huh."

"The tape is Jesus."

"He's sticky?"

"Mom! No. Look!" He pulled the tape loose from the eraser. "Because of sin we are separated from God, right? We long to be together with Him, but we cannot do it on our own. We fall off." He tips the spear to the side and the eraser falls into the dirt at my feet.
He stoops down to pick it up. "But God sent Jesus to die for us, so we can be together with Him again. Because of the tape -- Jesus -- we can be together with God, always." He wraps the tape around the eraser and cements it to the shaft.

His blue eyes sparkle in the afternoon sunlight. "Isn't that awesome?"

I squeeze his shoulder with my dirty glove. "Yep, kiddo. That's pretty awesome."

He walks back to the house, head held high. I turn back to the roses. Suddenly I could care less about getting them ready for spring. Does it really matter? What matters is that our hearts are ready. And my son gets that in a way that few adults seem to grasp. Our gospel is so simple that a child can explain it.

On our own we fall to the dirt. Jesus is the tape. Amen!
 
Here are some examples of precious things that my son has said over the years:
The Magic Word
Bean Enchiladas
Chains of Guilt
The Principal's Office
Bad Boy/Good Boy
And of course, the doozy: What my Kids and Husband Taught Me About Prayer, which later became "Birthday Wish" when it was published in Guideposts Magazine in February 2010.
 
Sunday morning, I will be stuffing my pockets with tissues!