Worthy

   Incredibly to me, in this new life one of the most profound revelations I've stumbled upon is that the simple transfiguration of previously understood truths into practiced wisdom becomes the answer to countless concerns and struggles. But it's not a single moment of determination to change that accomplishes this. Daily, even minute by minute, I must renew this wisdom if I even hope to approach the being God had in mind when He formed me. And for years I've carried, dormant, all that I needed for this. I was raised already equipped with many of the tools and truths needed for becoming that being. I had enormous benefit above many who, broken from unloving or neglectful families, take years after physical maturation to discover these truths on their own. But I've managed until just the past few years to be willingly ignorant (stupid on purpose) to most of this and waste the unmerited favor God's granted me. The single largest, most obvious factor in this stupidity has been my very poor stewardship of a priceless resource: Time. I won't for a moment claim arrival at some monumental place of growth but at some point in every notable person's life I think, they either look back with regret at all the minute wasters they've indulged in over the years or they simply recognize the true value of it and resolve firmly to utilize it wisely.

   If you're a Facebook friend of mine, you know this does not mean I have sworn off games for all eternity (my son begs frequently that I play this or that so he can watch because as a correctional measure he's presently barred from playing them himself) or that I cannot wile away the better part of an hour taking my happy time with a bath, dressing and painting the old barn when free to do so. It's instead a shuffling of priorities to put my spiritual relationship and growth, the precious bonds forming between my kids and me and others I love, my personal acquisition and assimilation of new applicable truths, and other such worthy pursuits in the order they belong. For so long I've purposely lied to myself that these things were already in proper order, but my daily choices proved otherwise. Lord willing, when back on my own, I'll not slip back into that age old deception and regress into the former, skewed priority list.

   My son's been inquiring at what I'm writing and so I spouted off a few of the words in this post and now my mother thinks I'm imitating some learned, fancy-schmancy college-educated person rather than truly expressing myself. I say that I'm a free, American, full-grown woman with many facets and if I want to talk like this, that's my right. Can I get an amen?!

   I'm about to play Frontierville with my boy so he can hold me to live what I've just claimed and strengthen that bond yet more. He's flashing snapshots of me with his KidTough camera at the moment. The other day he said he got my reflection in the back porch door's window confused with my mother, because we're both fat. The things they say! Like Tom Hanks says in "Sleepless in Seattle," there's no cure for being 8. At least, in spite of my being fat, he still wants to take my picture!

   Here's to you, my dear reader, and whatever takes the top slots in your life. Do me a favor will you and today, let them be those that are worthy of your best. Another Tom Hanks quote springs to mind here, the one near the end of "Saving Private Ryan" (Boy, Tom really gets some good ones, doesn't he!), "Earn this." God's given you and me a reasonably blessed number of years in relative comfort. Join me today, will you, in endeavoring to do them justice.

Blessings,
V