Time Does Not Heal All Wounds!

As we approach the anniversary date of the death of my Paw Paw, I'm reminded of the foolishness of man's wisdom vs. God's wisdom. Time does not heal all wounds. Having experienced the loss of the one I loved, I know that time has not healed my precious Maw Maw. God has been gracious to her. He has blessed her with 3 wonderful daughters who look after her and spend time with her to ease her loneliness. He has given her sons-in-law to help her with anything she needs. God has also rewarded her with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with a loving church, and many precious friends. But all of these things do not heal the wound in her heart. I've watched my Maw Maw live out this past year in a way that would honor God and His will for her life, but I have also seen her loneliness in the midst of a crowd. I have seen her turn her head away from those she loves so that they would not witness the tear rolling down her cheek. I know that she desires to be here with her family, but also longs to see my Paw Paw again. Their love was not the love you see in this day. Today you have temporary, conditional love. Love that is only given when the other party does what is pleasing. But once one's selfish desires are no longer being met, the love moves on. My Maw Maw & Paw Paw's love for one another was bigger than that. It was the kind of love that stayed pure in the midst of war. It was the kind of love that held together when there was little or no food to eat. My Maw Maw once told me that she and Paw Paw never told each other no. He did what he thought was right for the family and she did what she thought was right for the family. She said that you could be sure that if either of them acted out of selfishness or ignorance that their decision would give it's own consequence. They allowed each other to make mistakes and learn from them. They were committed to one another in the way that the Bible requires of us. Jesus will never leave us or forsake us, and we are commanded to act in marriage the same way that Jesus acts towards His church. My Maw Maw & Paw Paw are the only two people I know thus far who did this to the end. I miss having their lives lived out in front of me. I have gained much wisdom through them both. But even in the absence of my Paw Paw, his love for his family remains with me. Many lessons that will never be unlearned, but hopefully practiced until I too can leave this earth as loved and missed as he is. As for my Maw Maw, I will take full advantage of the time that I still get to have with her. She is dear to my heart and loved more than she can possibly know. She has been my rescuer at times without even knowing it. She has been my strength when I thought there was no strength to be found. She has been my earthly guide to the truth of God and His word. She has always been my "Maw Maw."

Brandon Recruited by the Old Guard

Brandon has been in basic training for the past few weeks. He was required to take a military mental exam. His score was one of the highest in the nation. Because of this score he has been recruited by the Old Guard. This is the unit that protects the President of the United States & ambassadors and performs ceremonies & funerals and gets to travel the world to do so. This is a very high honor. This also increases his likelihood of being recruited by the Special Forces or the FBI in the future. He must now score high enough on his physical exam for the recruitment to go through. I'm very proud of him.

AVP in Concert

Tonight Jason's band, Artist vs Poet, played at the Door in cowtown. I took my son, Nathan, and a few of his friends. My sister went with me as well as my parents. Tina (my sister) and I had a blast. She's rather silly and fun to be with if you get her a way from life's troubles. We had a picture made with the famous "Milton" and acted like teenagers.

I so enjoyed watching Jason and his friends play. Jason is the one who has always just grabbed life by the horns and wrestled it to the ground. If he's not having a good time, it's probably because he's asleep and even then he's probably still having fun. He's such a "fly by the pants" guy. I tell him that it's a good thing that he lives in a 15 passenger van because that puts limitations on where he has to look for all the things that he can't find. He managed to inherit his daddy's love of life, but he also got his daddy's forgetfulness.

I haven't seen them play in a while. They have really grown together as a band. Jason just lights up the stage. Okay, maybe I'm a little biased, but he's so cute! All the band members speak to me, which says a lot about the kind of young men they are. I know they have better things to be doing than acknowledging my presence, but they take the time to do it any way.

Jason is definitely in his element. As I said in my post about Brandon, as a mom I pray for 2 things: the salvation of my sons and that they are happy. Not only is Brandon happy, but my Jason is happy too!

Brandon's in the Army

It's been awhile since I've blogged. Since the last blog, Brandon has enlisted in the army. I've always known this day one come. From the time he was 3 years old he has talked of being in the army. He loved reading Hardy Boys and read them hundreds of times. This just reinforced his love for doing deeds that bring about good for others. Some have asked if this has been hard for me. I must admit that when he was sworn in, I cried. I don't know if I cried because it was now official, or if I cried because I was so proud of him. (Probably a little of both.) No mother wants their son to be in harms way, but I have learned from having four sons that they are often in harms way. They have stories that really concern some when they hear them. But the bottom line is that this really hasn't been that hard for me. I am convinced that this is the will of God for Brandon; and if it had not been, it just wouldn't have been that difficult for God to keep him home. He is excited. This is something that's been missing from his life for some time. First time he told me he had changed his plans of working for the FBI to becoming a banking man, I knew it wouldn't work. A mom knows her son. It didn't take long before his banking days became almost impossible for him to bear. His good friend, Mike, came home from the military for a visit and I could see it in Brandon's eyes. The bug was back and it had bitten. From that day my Brandon's love of life returned. I look forward to him fulfilling his dreams. As a mom I pray for two things: for the salvation of my sons, and for them to be happy. My Brandon is happy!!