New Perspective

It's been a rough week - no, a rough month really. I have actually started to feel like we're being tested to see how many "one-more-things" can be loaded onto our lives during a one-month time period. Our breaking points have been a little closer to the surface the past few weeks. However, Chris came home from work last night with a new attitude. He was smiling and laughing and hugging and didn't look exhausted and frazzled, which I was kind of expecting because I knew he was going to have a hard day at work. He performed a funeral for a family that he didn't know, whose 25 year-old son had died. The circumstances were a little different here because this boy had been diagnosed with encephilitis when he was six months old and had hardly any brain function. He had never spoken a word or laughed or smiled or done anything at all. I think that he was basically in a vegetative state for 25 years. As Chris perfomed his funeral, he was reminded of how blessed we are with our 5 healthy and active boys.

Among many other things, we've been stressing out about what decision to make regarding club soccer for Jacob. The price tag to be involved is pretty high, both financially and with the time and effort required to get him to all of the practices and games - and Jake is just 1 of 5 kids who are involved in sports. We want to do what we can to help him pursue his dreams, but at some point the question always comes up, "Does the end justify the means?"

When Chris came home yesterday, it was like he had a burden lifted off of his shoulders. He told me that he had been thinking about how small our problems and decisions are in light of what is really important. He said, "We've been stressed about deciding if and where Jacob will play soccer this spring when what is really important is that he is healthy and able to play soccer at all." I thought that was very insightful, and I'm so grateful for a new perspective today. Lots to do today; I'd better get after it!