Transaction In Time

Good Bye!

I love you!

Have a good day at school!

I'll miss you!

See you when you get home!

I love you again!

These sweet words left Barber's lips as he waved good-bye to Jeter and signed "I love you" again and again and again. Waving it so that Jeter could see. Thankfully Jeter wasn't too cool to give Barber a hug good-bye in front of all of his school buddies. I got a high-five.

I smiled.

At first glance, this summer seemed to be a "bust". My grandiose plans of summertime fun were minimized and altered by my injury and many times I mourned what I was unable to do with the boys to make this summer special. And yet, in the flurry of good-byes this morning, I realized the ONE thing that was most important to me happened -the bond between Barber and Jeter was strengthened. Their relationship grew and deepened to a new level and that is better than all the days we missed going to different parks or the projects that weren't completed. What they gained will never wear out, get thrown out, or be a forgotten activity.

My memories of this summer have been dominated at times by the nuisance of evolving from crutches with an air cast at all times to a brace sometimes, PT appointment that literally took me to the end of summer (last Friday), hours upon hours working on stuff for MIA - except when our hard drive fizzled and we were without a computer for a few weeks, Simms seemingly never-ending work hours, and lack of time and opportunity to get together with some dear friends. All that was eclipsed this morning by Barber's words to Jeter.

I am awestruck by the fact that this simple transaction in time could cause a shift in my thinking.

Here is what I am now going to put in the forefront of my memories for Summer 2008:

• The camaraderie that deepened between Jeter and Barber as they played pretend, created new inventions, built forts, played outside, rode bikes.
• The servant hood that developed in their lives and hearts as they got the ice pack for their Mommy or the pillow to lift my foot.
• The helpers they became when I first went food shopping again - even carrying all the groceries from the front stoop into the house and holding the door as I entered.
• They learned the meaning of family functioning as a team by living it.

No, it didn't happen the way I wanted it to but I do see how His ways are higher than my ways and He truly does work all things together for good. It is because of this that I still praise Him, call Him Father and trust Him completely.