our son

Eric my son with his son - Oliver and me.

Eric is our son.

He is a lot like his father, whom I adore, so God has blessed me with 2 men I adore...well, actually 4 men I adore if you're counting my son-in-law and my dad!

Eric always stood back to see if others were going to push it too far, or get in trouble before he would join in any of the orneriness of his friends.   I call this wisdom - even though it was early in his life that I first witnessed this.

When my hubby and I talked to Eric at an early age about the Lord - he told us a couple of times he was thinking about it.  This was about 5 years of age.

Then one day - he came and told us he was ready.  I call this wisdom!

His creativity has always fascinated me.  I love to watch to see what 'his take' on things will be.  It's always unique, and it's usually right.

He's smart.  I fought, and begged and tried to be creative in encouraging the completion of reading requirements and other homework assignments.  They always got done in his timing not mine - and he was very, very seldom if ever late with his work.  It was the process that was unorthodoxed, at least according to me, but it worked and I learned to let him figure it out.

Isn't that in fact the most difficult decision of parenting?  To let them figure out things for themselves as they become capable of doing that?

And now he is the High School Student Ministry Pastor.

I watch students follow him around.   I see that he has an ability far beyond his years to teach and connect with them and I stand and watch as if seeing him for the first time.

And now our son is a dad.

Everyone told me - being a grandparent is like nothing you've ever experienced before and they were right.  But, it's not just having a grandchild that's AMAZING, it's watching our son parent.  Unbelievable.. and it causes me to thank the Lord every time I watch he and his wife love their son.

I write this today to tell all of you - keep working with your kids.  They won't be perfect, neither is our son - but he loves the Lord and he loves his family.

Eric is my son - and it's one of the greatest, most fulfilling pieces of my life.