What I am learning from ...son #1

My #1 son is the best! As he gets ready to graduate, I have been reflecting on his growing up and who he has become. Here are just a few of the traits I admire in him.

JOY God sent him to us to bring laughter. He is just naturally funny. Yes, we laugh at him but not in the mean way...in the "he is so naturally funny and doesn't even try" way! I feel very blessed because in the midst of the chaos, he is usually there making some comment that sends hubby and me into a tailspin of laughter. He is our happy guy! He didn't used to be that way....but once he was stable in our home, grew in Christ and gotten through puberty(never want to go back there again)he has become a wonderful young man. He is always smiling. He jumps up out of bed each day ready to go into the day. He jumps in the car in the afternoon after school telling me "it was a good day" almost every day!! He keeps us accountable about going to church. Every Sunday, he bounces out of bed ready to get over to church no matter how we are feeling!! (hehe)  I SEE Phillipians 4:4 in him every morning. (Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say Rejoice!)  It is rare that he is depressed or down even though he struggles sometimes with depression. The Lord helps him to overcome it and he just bounces around through life!

One of the characteristics that I admire and want to emulate from him is FORGIVENESS. No matter how much I mess up as a mother or hubby messes up as a father, or how much someone might tease him or has bullied him in the past, he forgives. He REALLY forgives. He forgets too.(there is a blessing sometimes in having some short term memory loss). He just doesn't say it....he means it. He loves people the way God does and I wish I had that in me. He accepts ALL people the way they are. One example, he forgave his brother over and over again for some things S did to him. He just said, "he's my brother".

He is also BRAVE. He loves, loves, loves music, The other night at his prom, he was the only one dancing on the floor. The other students were snickering but you know what was really happening right? ......they didn't want anyone to see them be silly or mess up, J didn't care. He felt like dancing and he did...for over an hour!!! He just kept on. I watched him, I watched the others. He just didn't care what they thought...he just wanted to dance and he did!! He ended up getting the whole group of chaperones up there on the floor and we had a blast!I would have worried about those things.

 

J is also KIND. I have never known someone to be kind to so many people. He is always concerned about how you feel and he loves helping those in need. He once came home and asked me to gather some food so he could take to his volunteer day. He knew they were low and wanted to help. For a while, we took a lady we knew to church every week. J was always jumping out and helping her in with her things. He was deeply saddened that she died recently. He hurt because of the loss.

 

Someone once said that people with special needs are closer to God than the rest of us.....you know what, I am beginning to believe it. They are purer and have less filters which can clog us up as humans.  I see God-like qualities in J that I don't see much in myself or many others.  When he came to us, he didn't even know these great qualities were in the Bible....he just lived them. So, to our #1 son, I give you MAJOR KUDOS for being so forgiving, so kind, joyful and  brave! 

I cant wait to see what God does with the rests of your life! 

I want to be like you one day. Please keep teaching me how to be those things! 

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”