5:22 p.m. Today's project was to organize a visit with our grandsons, linking schedules with their mom Kippy, her dad Booker, and the boys' dad, our son Sean. Kippy, Adrian and Xavier had just landed at Ontario Airport after a visit to her side of the family in Port Charles, Louisiana.
I was textintg both Sean and Kippy, and at the same time figuring out how to help poor , literally poor, Steven up in Fresno to get some money for groceries, having spent his Christmas money on rent and utilities. Bally's gym is slow for trainers in this economy; tips from Cool Hand Luke's steakhouse are erratic; and his new on-campus job won't begin until school starts next week. He will have 3 jobs and a full class schedule--upper division science for his kinesiology major. Reminds me of my senior year at the University of Redlands, having three little jobs and a preschooler, Sean, back in 1978!
Add to Steven's schedule his beloved high school ministry leadership role at The People's Church, and we can just say, may the Lord be with you!! I'll quote what the Apostle Paul told young Timothy as he began his busy ministry, in I Timothy 4:12-13: "Let no man despise your youth, but be an example to the believers, in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Til I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."
Did I mention that Steven also thinks he has a cracked rib?!
Steven's credit union, Altura, barely locked up when I got to the door to make a cash deposit to his account, so it was up to WalMart for a moneygram. I drove to the one off Day Street, noting the giant snaking line leading up to customer service, mostly returns. When I saw only one attendant, that plan was out. I had to get home in time to see the boys, due to arrive in an hour. So I texted Steven, "Looks like it will be Western Union!" Praise God the UPS store in the Mission Grove shopping center was empty, so the money flew to Fresno for Steven to glean. What a trial of frustration that was! Isn't it funny how little irritants bug us more than the serious events? Maybe because we know only God can change a huge disaster into good, but we tend to feel like we can fix the commonplace stuff! But truly, the only way we can fix anything is to listen to the Holy Spirit and do it His way.
Adrian and Xavier arrived and opened their gifts: 2-way watch radios and C28 hoodies with a striped motif, quoting Isaiah 53:5, "By His stripes we are healed." Because of a dress code at their middle school, they have to wear black and white jackets, like their uniform outfits. Must have a gang problem in their neighborhood for that drastic of a policy! But the boys can wear their hoodies here, at home, and on weekends. I'm just glad they fit.
It's a tad different for Steve and me to have teenagers in the house again--their music, jabber, poking at each when raising my own five teens, was to let them voice their ideas--hear them out. Just be sure that nothing dishonoring or disrespectful is allowed. It worked for us, even though tempers would boil over at times. We know, like our own parents did, that "this too shall pass." Adolescent attitudes are nothing new, it's just each genration's different issues and outlooks.
Our job the next few days is to love our boys, spend a good Sunday at church with them, have fun, and leave a legacy of peaceful, godly living as an inheritance. Oh, and we'll need to feed them--you should see how a 14 year old and a 12 year old plow through two large pizzas!
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