Family Day

Life is busy in Seminole. I have been out of the house a good deal over the last week of holidays. Coupled with that fact there have been the social commitments Brenda and I have kept along with our kids spending the night with their friends. As a result we have not been together as a whole family very much over the past several days.

Today we decided that we would have a family day. A day set aside for us to be together as a family for the whole day. No friends. No work. Nothing that would keep us from enjoying one another. I love my family and value the time we have together.

The day started with me going out on the back porch to enjoy a bowl of cereal along with communion with the Lord. I read scripture and wrote in my prayer journal. I was basking in the sun’s rays as well as in the Son of God when Turner came out to sit with me.

He climbed up on my lap and we talked about the house the Lord has blessed us with along with how beautiful the back yard is. We threw a tennis ball so Anna Belle could play fetch with it. She seemed a little out of shape as she panted after making several trips to chase the ball down. She does great at fetching the ball but not so great at releasing it back to us.

Next, we loaded up in Brenda’s car and headed to Midland to make a few returns, let the boys use some gift cards they received for Christmas, and go out to eat. Let me suffice it to say everyone else must have had the same idea because everywhere we went there were huge crowds. We first waited to eat at Cracker Barrel. It was worth the wait to enjoy some good old fashioned dumplings and turnip greens. I thought I was back in East Texas sitting around my grandmother’s table. When all was said and done there was nothing left on the table but a little macaroni and cheese and one biscuit. We laughed at Brenda trying to play the little board game at the table. She progressively got worse the longer she played which the boys found hilarious. She at one point scored an “egg-nor-ramus.” None of the boys knew what that meant and I found myself fumbling for words to define it in a tactful way.

Next we braved the crowds at Academy where needed to make a return and where the boys were generously blessed with gift cards from a family within the church. I never knew it could take little boys so long to make decisions. Up and down every aisle we walked and I thought they would never get done. We followed up that trip by walking next door to the Mardel bookstore. This was a much more enjoyable experience for me. I perused the shelves finding a couple of gems I added to my personal library. The boys got a movie and a cd and Brenda spent some time looking at pictures and nick nacks. What I really wanted to do was nestle up in the driver’s seat of the suburban and start reading. Brenda had other plans in mind.

After leaving Mardel we stopped get a drink at Taco Villa. If you know me very well you will not have to guess what I had to drink. You know I had a couple of cups of peach tea and then filled up a third for the ride home.

While sitting around drinking our drinks Brenda mentioned that she really wanted to stop by Bed – Bath and Beyond. You could hear the groans around the table. I think it was Taylor who rallied the troops and said , “Hey, Mom has done several things for us. We can do this one thing for her.” We all agreed me included. I had intended on sitting in the car and reading a book I had stashed in the back for such an occasion in addition to the two new books. Brenda flashed her brown eyes and said she really wanted me to go in with her and I melted like ice cream in the steamy sun.

I have to admit I thought it was a pretty neat store. We looked at bedding for our bed since I spilled bleach water on our comforter as we were getting settled in our new home ruining it. Brenda had some coupons and we set out looking for a deal. We looked at different sets over and over again. We finally settled on a set but they did not have our size. They checked the Lubbock location and found one that would fit our bed and will have it shipped to us. To make it even better it was on clearance sale and we got it cheap! Hallelujah.

We ended the day with a fast food dinner. We split up over this. Brenda, Tucker, and Turner wanted Chic-Fil-A. You all know how I feel about the fowl food group. Taylor, Tanner, and me opted for Wendy’s, which was located right next door to the Chic-Fil-A. Everyone was happy.

The trip home seemed shorter. We had laughed, shopped, eaten, held hands, made memories, and most importantly spent the whole day together. Turner sat in my lap every chance he could. Tucker held my hand walking down the sidewalk and across the parking lot. Brenda reached over and held my hand while driving home. Taylor asked if he could sit by me. Tanner laughed and laughed throughout the day. We sang songs together on the radio while driving home in the still of the night. I was very contented to enjoy being with them all day.

I love my calling. Coupled with the fact that I am very driven I must constantly remind myself that even ministry takes a back seat to my relationship with God first and my wife and children second. I must continually work to carve out time for my Lord and my family. Nobody is going to do this for me. It will not matter how large the church is, how many books or blogs I write, or how great I preach if I neglect my family and they do not love and serve the Jesus I serve. I will end up a failure if that were to happen. Many pastors have neglected their families all for love affair with the ministry. I live a frustrated life. I always want to do more for God but I also have obligations to Brenda and the boys. I need to make special memories with them every chance I get. It is hard to believe how fast they are growing up already.

God thank you for family days. Thank you for simple pleasures and precious memories that were enjoyed and made. Thank you for the love that was shared and for the day we got to focus on one another. My family is a gift. Please help me not to take them for granted but to make the most of every day I have with them. Thank you for family days.