This weekend we have the pleasure to have our two grandbabies over for “sleep-overs” when their parents go to a conference out of town. It will be the first time I have BOTH my “babies” overnight and I’m a little excited! That said, I also know it will be an exhausting weekend. I’m just not as young as I used to be…I can admit that!
Last week, my grandson was over for a few hours and his three year old giggles and grins just melted my heart. My husband thought it would be fun to throw a big float toy into our pool and tow Jaxon around so he could pretend he was a pirate on a boat. “Again! Again!” he yelled at my husband as my husband pulled the rope to tow him around the pool. Jaxon would have played that game for hours but my husband petered out. He’s not as young as he used to be, but he won’t admit that 🙂
Our house has always been a place of giggles and splashes! We have an indoor pool that served for a time as our church’s baptistery before our church had its own building. I often remark that the water is “Holy” water. We’ve hosted birthday parties and youth pool parties, grad parties and my son even got tossed in the pool by his buddies at his engagement party! It’s not really a party until someone gets tossed in the pool I guess.
Several years ago my youngest daughter, Carmen and two of her friends were doing an assignment for school that required a video camera, a pair of “magic” flip flops, and a willingness to fall into the pool. The premise for the project was to do a commercial for a product not yet invented. The three fourteen year old girls had at first decided to invent an “Invisi Boy”…an invisible…and so perfect…boyfriend. They decided against the idea when they realized he was too hard to invision! Hahahaha!
I gave a suggestion to them, knowing how my youngest child Carmen had (still has) a propensity to trip over anything and everything, that they should “invent” a pair of shoes that when they wear them they immediately become “graceful”. That seemed to go over extremely well, especially when they started to think about how funny filming the pratfalls would b
e. Of course it was my Carmen who thought about using the pool as a greatest pratfall prop. She immediately volunteered herself to be filmed “accidentally” falling into the pool because of her extreme clumsiness. I think they had to do at least fifty takes to get the action just right. Poor, poor water-logged Carmen!
They chose a pair of flip flops to be the miraculous transforming shoes to give them grace whenever they put them on. Again, their first choice was a pair of high heels but Carmen vetoed that idea immediately realizing the chances of her appearing “graceful” in heels was slim. She stood more of a chance in flip flops!
And so for the next two hours all I heard was splashing and giggles and on occasion uproarious laughter from the three girls. Kaylee, the videographer capturing the wild antics of Carmen and Breeana as they “acted” in the commercial. I never did see the final edit, but no doubt it was hilarious!
I actually tripped over a pair of Carmen’s flip flops this morning in the front entranceway and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud remembering how ones like these were supposed to be the “magically transforming graceful shoes” from yesteryear. As I picked them up and put them safely back in the front closet I was reminded of the many stumbles I have taken in life.
How many times have I tripped up? How often have I tried to go my own way, trying to balance precariously on shaky footing only to trip and do what I call an “epic fail”? My epic fails may not be seen on YouTube, but I am very aware that I have an audience and at times that causes me great shame. God watches me and He sees me when I fall, mess up, and face-plant in the dirt. Yet He does not leave me in the dust. He kindly rebukes me for trying to walk the path of life on my own and then His Love transforms me!
So I stumbled upon this scripture this morning: “See I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Romans 9:33
Now if I can just prevent one of the grandbabies this weekend from pushing me into the pool!
It’s raining. It’s been raining pretty steady for a few days now and although we’re told that June is the “wettest” month of the year for Albertans, we can’t help feeling a little worried. It’s on the hearts and minds of so many…the flood of 2013! In a way I wish the media would stop talking about it and as water levels rise, they seem to go into a frenzy speculating a repeat every year of 2013’s flood. Some consider that the worst flood in over one hundred years. One hundred years! If it took one hundred years before, why is everyone sure it’s going to happen every year?? Come on people, stop the fear-mongering already!
Lynn Dove's Journey Thoughts 