Enormous blessings hidden in ordinary moments

I laced up my running shoes after Andrew was in bed, the older boys getting settled down for the night. For years running has been “me” time, time alone to think, to get away. As the boys have gotten older, that is changing. Funny, how you don’t notice the change sometimes until it’s fully upon you. Now instead of trying to get away from them, I’m trying to figure out how to have time with them.

When Zachary asked if he could join me on a run, I was quick to say yes. It’s hard fitting in one-on-one time when you have three boys, and they all play sports, and school, and therapies, and life, and me and Steve taking time for each other. We periodically plan special outings individually with our kids, but more often we use the everyday, ordinary times and turn them into intentional times of togetherness apart from everyone else. Like a run. Like a walk, like a sitting on the porch together, like a bike ride to get ice cream, like a trip to Home Depot and only one goes along.

I have to shut down the Facebook and Pinterest images of the fun and exciting date nights I see others taking and remind myself that any moment can be made special when we are simply together, enjoying each other. The moments don’t have to be extravagant and post worthy. We just have to be together. Usually the simpler, more spontaneous ones are the ones that I hold dearest to my heart.

I love being alone with my boys. They are different creatures completely when they don’t have someone poking a weak spot or shimmying their way in the spotlight, when they don’t have to be the most interesting to be heard, or the loudest, when there are no starts and stops. I feel like when I have my boys alone, I see who they really are.

So Zachary and I set out for the trails taking Macy, our 2 year old Schnoodle, along. By the way, do you know how funny it feels to run with a lap dog? Macy runs. Fast. She never tires. It is an odd feeling to run and have passing cars slow to watch you run by with this little white lightning dog. Sadly, my run is so slow, she looks more like a fast walking dog than a running dog.

The first half mile, we were at a great pace. Zachary is full of conversation. Macy is trying to pull us faster along the trail. We get to a point of deciding left or right. Right would be a three mile run. Left would be just over a 2 mile run. Zachary chose left, and we continued on our way. I made mention of running slow. He responded that yes, I was indeed very slow, and he was having to force himself to run slow so we could talk. Finally, his energy and young legs got the best of him, and he decided he would do sprints. Sprinting ahead and back to me where we could keep pace together until his next sprint.

Seriously?? I’m getting old, old, old. 

We came back to the earlier point of the trail where he chose left for the short run. I thought we would head right, right back home. He chose to continue on adding an additional mile to our run!

Oh my dear. When did my children get to the point they can truly smoke me on the trails? 

Then it hit me. My son is running. My son with Lyme disease is running. As I watched him sprinting back and forth, laughing in the wind, Macy tangled in a leash, him jumping over her laughing the whole time, I was overwhelmed.

5 months ago his knee was so filled with fluid, he couldn’t walk. He cried like I’ve never heard him cry before. “I just want to run again, and play with my friends.” My heart ached for those things too, but fully trusting in the Lord’s good purposes. Watching Zachary begin to express that he felt God allowed him to get Lyme to help others. My heart bursting with this unexplainable desire to take it all away but at the same time thanking God for showing me just the smallest opening into Zachary’s heart being used by God.

Feet pounding pavement, heart pounding out of my chest, and absolutely overcome by thankfulness that I had this moment with my son. To watch him run with ease, to watch him laugh with no pain. To see no fear in his eyes, only sheer joy. And this realization that each moment is an utter gift. I don’t want to live in fear of what may come for him, I want to live moment by moment grateful for the Lord’s work in his life, no matter what it may look like.

Honestly, it’s what I want for everything in my life. An awareness to the gift of each moment God brings my way. Some moments are so obvious, but some take a bit of hunting down or digging out. He is in each one. My constant prayer is that I’m wildly aware of His Presence.

9 more days of school for my boys. They are almost home. So many more of these ordinary, everyday moments lie ahead of us. A summer of intentional moments waiting to give birth. We aren’t making bucket lists this year. We aren’t making elaborate plans. We are simply going to enjoy the moments we have, taking hold of each one and making the most out of what we have.

We would appreciate your continued prayers for Zachary. He is doing so well and the Lyme has caused no further complications. The doctors have said it could remain dormant or wake back up. We rejoice in his good health and pray for continued health and our faith to squash the fear of what if.

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