July 13 – “Mr. Robert”

So I am still fighting a stomach bug that just won’t go away.  It seems to have lessened in severity, but as far as I’m concerned the fact that it still “rears” its ugly head at all is enough.  It was kind of a fitting malady yesterday, though.  How, you may ask?  Well, Chris and I went up to the church to deliver the load of supplies we picked up at Sam’s the day before.  We got everything hauled up the stairs, and Chris immediately started into cleaning mode.  She stocked the needed paper goods and began replacing the torn shower curtains and broken shower rod that were recently reported to us.  And my task?  I ended up replacing the innards of not one but two toilets.  Both needed new flappers, and one had a handle that was completely broken off.  Two trips to the hardware store later, and we were in business once again.  Oh, and these renovations were all in one of the boys’ bathrooms.  Imagine that.  Chris asked at one point, “Why is all this repair work in the boys’ rooms?”  Silly question.  She didn’t expect an answer.  She raised three of those creatures.  Well, four if you count me. 

Just last night I heard Chris on the phone telling a Noa story to Josh.  I had forgotten about it, but it is too cute to pass up.  The Sunday after their house was broken into, the family went to church as usual.  But as they approached one of their friends, Noa grew more agitated.  Finally she declared, “I don’t like Mr. Robert.  I gonna go kick him.”  Confused at this aberrant behavior, Christina made an attempt to gently correct her attitude and said something maternal along the lines of “We don’t kick our friends.”  Noa bristled up once again and this time said, “Why did Mr. Robert take our stuff? I don’t like him.”  And the light bulb finally clicked on in Mom’s mind.  Noa had been hearing much more than they could have imagined about the break-in.  But in her three-year-old mind, the only “Robber” she had reference for was “good ol’ Mr. Robert” up at the church.  Of course they immediately began to backtrack with her and reassure her that it was a burglar, a crook, a criminal, the bad guy – any other word they could think of than “robber.”  But it was not Mr. Robert.  He was off the hook.  Honestly, I don’t think she was completely convinced.  Sorry Mr. Robert. 

Romans 14:8 says, “If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

Father, thank you for the heads up on just how amazing are your creations called children. Please grant Noa freedom from fear of – and anger toward – the mysterious “Mr. Robbers” in her life.  Amen.