Stories

I often wonder what stories my kids will tell about me.  I'll hear speakers talk about their childhoods, or tell anecdotes from when they were little and inevitably, my mind wanders to what tales my children will someday tell.

Surely, they'll talk about their lack of childhood mementos due to their mother's incessant need to cut clutter.  Or maybe they'll laugh about the time I said, "IF YOU DON'T STOP THAT RIGHT NOW, YOU'LL HAVE TO ORDER PIZZA INSTEAD OF CORN DOGS AT THE RESTAURANT TONIGHT!"  Perhaps they'll one day respond to their kids with "Because I'm magical." every time one of them asks how they know something.  Because that's what their mom always said.

I don't know.  Even though I know I'll get teased (because that's what adult children do to their parents) I do hope that they have more good memories than bad ones.  I hope they remember the piles of books that we read together and projects that we completed side by side and forget the times that I lost my temper or said, "not right now."  I hope they remember that I tell them how much I love them 15 times a day and forget most of my screw ups.

This morning I was eating at McDonalds with Ben (please, God, help them to remember the healthy meals I prepared and forget the times we ate fast food) and he asked me a question about the angel who released Peter from chains.  As I pulled out my phone to look up the passage, the guy sitting in the booth next to us said, "I'm speaking across the street at chapel in an hour or so . . . maybe he'd just like to speak for me."  We kind of laughed and I said, "How about it Bennett?  Do you want to speak in chapel?"

He responded with, "No.  But I will at Somerset Beach Campground.  I only speak at Somerset Beach Campground."  I was unaware of the exclusivity clause in his contract with camp.

Ben immediately followed that up with, "Do your kids watch NFL Rush Zone?"  Chapel speaking invitation rescinded.

I've been thinking ever since then, though, about what my kids will have to say someday.  Whether it's just telling stories to their own kids, sharing with a large group or simply recalling things to themselves . . . what will they have to say?

I hope that they'll be able to say these things:  We were a family who loved each other and was for each other.  Our parents weren't perfect, but loved Jesus and did their best to point us to our loving God in everything that they did.