Another 1st...sniff, sniff...

Corban had his first soccer practice last week! I can't believe it! Whether you have children or not, I am sure that you think about and have dreams for your children and their future. Joshua and I both dream that our children will follow in our footsteps and be athletes. While we dream this, I will add and have to constantly remind myself that they will be what God wants them to be. I was fortunate to have participated in sports as well as be forced to play in the band. I appreciate it much more now and I know my Mom is saying, "I told you so!" Anyways, on Tuesday I was slightly stressed about adding a new thing to our finally smoothed out routine. I concerned myself with getting half of dinner cooked while the other half is prepared so Joshua could pop it in the oven after practice. I was concerned with getting my husband's coat that he forgot. I was concerned with chasing down a little one to wrestle while I changed him. All of this just so we could get to practice on time and I could head to teach my class. I was so concerned with it that I did that thing that you do when your kids are sending a barrage of questions your way while you are so in your head thinking, "Am I crazy? IS this too much? Is this too soon?" You know that thing. When you answer with short answers and you turn the radio up a bit for some escape and distraction. But, thankfully, God presented me with a moment of pure joy. Corban asked me, "Mommy, who is on my team? Are they going to be nice? Are they the bad guys? I will shoot the bad guys! (again, with his finger gun...don't mess with this fella!)" I suddenly realized that if I was having doubts and fears that my 4 1/2 year old most definitely was too. I got out of my head and said, "Sweetheart! They are nice people and you are going to have so much fun. It sounds like you are a little nervous. Can I say a prayer for you to not be scared or nervous? He replied, "Yes, and I want you to do it." I couldn't even start the prayer with words before the tears spilled onto my face. He asked me as I prayed, "Mommy, why are there tears in your eyes?" I told him, "I have tears in my eyes because my heart is so full of joy that it's coming out of my eyes!" He just took a deep breath and sweetly shook his head and rolled his eyes as if to say, "Oh Mom!" That made me laugh out loud. Wow! How incredible of a moment. It hit me in that moment that all the dreams I had for Corban are here and happening and I was letting life make it become a burden. I thanked God that day for such a change of heart and for opening my eyes so I could see that my child needed prayer. The best part was that he welcomed it. It was not about the sports that I dreamed my child to play, it was about the fact that my child knows that he needs the Lord! Thank you God!