"I'll Carry You!"

Every family has a child that challenges its family members...in one way or another. Ours is no exception.

When our son was in preschool, I remember having to sit down behind him and having to wrap my legs around him in order to get him to sit still long enough to listen to a story.

My friends would talk about their blissful Saturday mornings when their kids would "pop" in a video and sit for hours while they would lounge. Not in our home. Caleb would be up by 7:00 at the latest...ready to do or work on a project or have his boots on to go outside and explore. I really was TOTALLY jealous and tried to be happy for them, but it just did not seem fair.




Fast forward 14 years and he still has energy to spare. In January, Caleb and I took a winter's walk along the path in the wetlands. It is something we enjoy because the air is always extra crisp and fresh along the creek.

As we were walking, Caleb spotted the tree that had fallen due to the beavers. He knew, because he had already checked it out on an earlier excursion. He wanted me to see the beaver's teeth marks at the base of the large tree. I was completely happy with him telling me ALLLL about it, but it it was so important for him to not only tell me about it but to SHOW me.

I was so focused with staying on task to get our walk "in" and to get back home to make dinner that I had to be convinced.

All I could see was the muddy, soggy ground, lots of shrubbs and branches that had to be moved to get down to the creek. After a couple of minutes, Caleb walked back toward me and said,"Mom, I'll help you up on my back and I'll carry you!".

Not only did he carry me, but he cleared the branches as we forged through the wetlands. He set me up on the slippery trunk and took my hand as we balanced ourselves down to where the trunk had been gnawed away by the beavers. How thrilling! It was yet another reminder of why God blessed us with our son.





Time and time again I have learned so much about my Savior through the children he has entrusted us with. Sometimes I wonder if they have been put in our care to give us just that much more of an understanding of how He cares and takes care of us.

How many times am I happy with the comfortable? Are there times He wants me to EXPERIENCE life beyond the dry familiar path? Is He asking me to go through the mud? If He is, I can be assured that it is worth the extra time, worth the sight and best of all He promises to carry me, clear the branches, set me up on a safe spot, take my hand and show me THE THRILLING and AMAZING!

Do you view challenges as an opportunity to grow or just as another frustration in your life?

Psalm 27:5
" For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."