I Blinked, and He is a Man

John recently celebrated his 19th birthday. 

My how times flies.

  It seems like just a short while ago he was getting his first deer,

learning to wrestle, and was shorter than me. 

I blinked,

and he became a fine young man,

growing in conviction, responsibility, and manliness. 

It is such a pleasure to have him home with us.

  Brian can continue to have Bible study with him, 

the younger boys, who look up to him immensely,

can learn from his example,

and he has time to make memories with the little ones.

  His long work days firefighting keep him away much of the time,

but knowing now how fast life goes by,

this mama is grateful for every hour he has with us.

I am thinking that I will blink again

and these young ones will be tall strapping men like their older bother. 

It will happen so quickly,

it makes me want to relish every moment with them that I can. 

I don't have time to be cross with them,

  only time to be tying heartstrings to them instead,

 noticing all the little details that are important to them,

building them up in respect and godly character.

  I must persist to be diligent to school them well,

even on days when I really don't feel like it,

like today.

  For time has a way of slipping by, and then we have lost it forever. 

They will be on their way to the next season in life,

and I do not want to have missed this one.

Sure, finding lego men drowned  in my water glass,

or army men in my bed can be tiresome at the moment,

but one day I will surely look back with fondness for life with boys,

for the days when they wore blankets as capes,

  and football pads during school, 

envisioning themselves as the heros they long to be one day.

In a week or two, all this glorious Autumn splendor will be covered by snow for another season.

  I want to savor it now,

make memories of this beautiful fall now,

just as I desire to do with the boyhood of my little men. 

Their home-life is forming their character for life. 

That is a scary thing to contemplate. 

My prayer for today is this:

"God, please fill our home with love- 

for it is as we let Your heart touch ours

that we seek the highest good of others. 

And please fill our home with happiness-f

or it is as we follow You 

will that we find the center of all joy."