Little Life Lessons

We have been running all over the place for the last two weeks. It is good to sit still today and kind of re-group. The June issue of the magazine will be out next weekend and it is one of my all time favorites. The theme is Father’s Day. I just don’t run short of ideas on that subject. I am still my daddy’s daughter and proud of it.

And in the realm of “males,” in general, we have been overwhelmed with three new grandbaby boys in the last six months. I try hard not to be too obnoxious with grandchildren pictures…but it is hard . Since a lot of our running around has been grandchildren lately, I couldn’t resist putting a few new pics up here for you.

Baby Henry who is the oldest of the new crop was born November 25, 2008 and he was christened just a week ago. He lives in Hernando and when you see pictures of him next to his three year-old big brother, Evan, at the same age, it is hard to tell who’s who. You can already tell by the way his eyes follow his brother that he is taking it all in and planning to challenge his brother in everything from the sandbox to the t-ball field and whatever else the future holds.
The pic of me and Baby Chase, who lives in Memphis, was taken at the Redbirds game that same weekend. It seemed that night, at least, that Chase will share a love for baseball with his grandfather who played baseball at (gasp) University of Alabama – let’s say a few short years ago. He looks like his grand dad – he has the same kind of eyes that smile along with the rest of him when he’s happy. I just love it.
Our youngest grandboy was born May 5 in Denver and I will be traveling to see him in about two weeks. He is Phillip Sutton Smith, son of Lem and Merrill. With two big sisters to boss him around, I have no doubt he will learn about women early on and will carve out his own strong identity in spite of all the mothering and arranging they will just be prone to do.

This note comes with news and no particular spiritual message except some hard earned words of wisdom. The time with our children is much too short even though there are days when we think this season of small children and never ending demands are eternal! There is absolutely nothing on the “to do” list that is more significant now or ever than what our children just picked up by watching us today!

A Thoroughbred Faith

Charles and I spent the weekend in Louisville, Kentucky. Yes, I know the Derby was the week before, but we had business this past week. So, we could not resist touring Churchill Downs. I have become much enamored with horses. Charles has loved horses his entire life, and I now know more than I ever thought I would care to know about thoroughbreds and the whole sport of horse racing.  I can tell you a lot about names like Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Barbaro, and I have seen the grave of Eight Belles. I know who Mine That Bird is, and I am pulling for him in the Preakness, because he seems to have no respect even after winning the Derby.

 

I could try to impress you with more names, but my friends read this blog, and they are already laughing at me. And maybe I should just mention we don’t bet on anything, but we just enjoy everything about the horses.

Seriously, I am amazed at certain things about thoroughbreds. I realize that God chose to compare us to sheep (the dumbest of animals…that’s easy for me to understand) instead of thoroughbreds. But I have to think that there is some encouraging redemptive analogy and even a spiritual lesson in the qualities we observe in both dogs and horses. They both tend to connect in a relational way to people – which I interpret as their understanding – although limited – of some being higher than themselves. They are incredibly loyal, forgiving, and unconditionally loving. 

Thoroughbreds, so I understand, come into the world high-strung, strong-willed, and wanting it their way. It takes a skilled trainer who sees their potential and loves them for what they can become, to patiently rein in their stubbornness, their strong will, and to ultimately win their loyalty and their passion to please. When these magnificent animals take to the track on race day, they are focused – it is no longer about having their way…it is about winning the race….and by this time, they know what the real race is all about. 

Kind of makes me stop and think.