Stuck

It was a beautiful summer day. The church next door was under construction, which made for a delightfully muddy place for little boys to ride their bikes. Through my kitchen window I watched my middle child (who has an inherent need to keep up with his brother) follow the elder through a large puddle. The muddy slop proved to be too much for the little bike which still had training wheels on it. The pedals were stopped precariously above the water level, which was halfway up the tires. To proceed out of the puddle would mean dipping a shoe in the water as the pedal turned. What happened next amazed me: my normally resourceful, very active, always filthy two-and-a-half year old just sat there. He would not leave the puddle for fear of getting his feet wet.
“Stuck!” was the cry.
“I stuck, Mom!”
“Stuck!”
Brother was inside almost immediately. “Mom! Tobey’s stuck in a puddle!”
“I’ll be right out” I told him, and as he went to report the good news to the stuck one, I went to find my camera. When I finally left the house to walk over to the puddle, I was amused to see that the free brother had hopped back on his bike and was gleefully riding around as if nothing was wrong. All the while his brother continued to yell.
“Hey! I stuck!”
“I stuck he-ah!”
“Hey Brennan! I stuck!”
So I took a few pictures of my child in the puddle, and then said to him “What are you going to do?”
“Help me!” he replied.
“You have to ride out yourself. I’m not going to get in the puddle with you.” I replied.
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can—just go!”
“I will get all wet.”
“It’s Ok; it’s just your shoes.”
“No!”
“Well, I’ll have to think about how I can help you without getting into the puddle with you.” I said.
For fifteen minutes I sat there looking like I was thinking of a solution, while he sat patiently in the muck. As he watched his brother ride around, I saw his level of frustration grow, and then, all of a sudden, he just started pedaling and rode right out. Not one word from him and he was back in action, wet feet and all.

I have been Tobey Stuck. I knew there was a way out of my puddle, but I chose to sit there because I didn’t want to get dirty.
I have been Brennan Riding. I have watched others get stuck, but knowing how to avoid the mess, stayed away and pretended not to see their dilemma.
I have been Brennan Helping. I have interceded in order to help someone else, seeking the wisdom of another, unable to provide help myself.
I have been Parent Observing. I have watched others get stuck, knowing there was a way out, and just watched and waited to see what they would do.
I have been Muddy Puddle. I have been a hang-up for someone looking to get somewhere, only to find me as a hurdle.
I have been Little Blue Bike. I have carried others into times of joy and great experiences, but also into tough times where we don’t move forward at all.

As you consider where your role might be in a situation like this, remember:
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8.28, NIV)

Overheard....

"Oh, he's a virgin."
"Look at her- she's definitely a virgin!"
"Heh- yeah"
"There's another one."
"Yup, virgin."
"He looks cool- I bet he's not a virgin."

After hearing enough, I alarmingly yelled "What are you talking about?"

Brennan and Tobey explained, after several uncomfortable seconds of silence, that they were watching people go by on the street and determining whether they were virgins or not.

"Do you know what that is?" I asked.

"I think it's a person who doesn't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend..." Tobey stammered.
Brennan just sat there with a smirk on his face. I suspect that he was in the know.

Of course, I had to explain what it meant. I'm sure I saw little whisps of innocence float away as I was talking.

Laid Off

I have laid myself off. As Chief Family Officer of the Aldrich Corporation, I have decided to hire a less experienced, cheaper work force: Brennan, Tobey, Riley, and Mike. After several months of a gradual decline in employee participation, I began to realize that the larger burden of work was being done by me, myself, and I.
It was a Sunday after church when we entered our headquarters, only to find things in complete disarray. The current staff just couldn't keep up. So, after quite a rant and a dramatic resignation, I began to divide up my many duties among the less-than-eager laborers.
So far the new workers are shocked and slightly angered to find that they have almost no free time, and it seems like everytime they sit to watch television there is something more to do. Apparently, laundry requires a human presence in order to transfer it from the washer to the dryer- who knew? It has also become clear that when you leave toys, shoes, and other items on the floor, you can actually trip and injure yourself! My current workforce does require a lot of direction: it seems as if they have to literally trip over something before they pick it up.
I plan on re-instating my position as CFO this upcoming Sunday. My hope is that my workers will realize exactly how much work needs to be done in order to maintain our current system of living. My fear is that by the end of the week, the only sanity left in the house will be with the dog.