July 18 – “True heroes?”

We were seated around the table.  All was quiet, save for the occasional polite conversation.  That’s when we first heard it.  A tiny, sweet sound rising from behind us.  Hark.  A voice.  And it says … “I’m gonna scare the tar out of you.”  It was followed by an intense, low growl.  Frightening.  What could possibly be the origin of such a strange and scary, yet sweet and beautifully haunting sound?  None other than three-year-old AnnaGrace.  I think she learned something from her three older brothers …

We took a walk to see the waterfalls in the little stream at the park near their house.  Someone had dammed up the water at one point, creating a miniature lake.  Luke and AnnaGrace and I floated some canoes (sticks) and even a raft (small hunk of discarded wood) down the stream and over the dam.  The sound of a flowing brook and the playing of children.  Amazingly peaceful …

As we sat in the front yard and watched the boys play basketball and AnnaGrace play in the sprinklers (well, and also Zak play on the tree swing), a neighbor who was taking a walk called out, “Grandmas and Grandpas are the true heroes of the family.”  How could we argue with that?  He came back on his return trek and stopped to talk for a while.  He is a professor at Baylor.  Very fun guy to talk to.  He is impressed with Galveston’s history.  I was impressed with his background.  He is a Pennsylvania-born, Mennonite Yankee who married a very conservative Nigerian lady.  Sounds like a lot of fun at their house. 

Yesterday we received an invitation to Fun Friday Mystery Road Trip.  Every so often Christi designates a Friday (Josh’s day off) as Fun Friday.  The family engages in some whimsical activity together.  This one was a surprise trip.  Well, it was supposed to be a surprise for the kids, anyway.  And it was, right up until Josh accidentally spilled the beans the night before.  Oops.  It didn’t make the trip any less fun, though.  We followed them to Lake Whitney where they planned to spend the day with good friends of us all (and our Alaska cruise companions), Cary and Kay Lynn.  The kids went swimming in the lake.  Zak did a little fishing.  Us old people sat on the bank and chatted about a possible trip to Hawaii we all want to take in the Spring, if everything opens up by then.  Then we all enjoyed a Mexican food delight lunch, before we had to hit the road for home.  Great time …

2 Corinthians 12:8-9 says, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Father, thanks for a great Waco week.  And we’d really like to make that Hawaii trip, so we could use some help on the Corona closings front.  Amen.