At 11:58 last night I was sound asleep. At 11:59, I was hearing my phone ring. At that hour, my instinct is to answer my phone thinking it must be an emergency.
Earlier in the evening, I had been frustrated with my son for his frequent interruptions during youth group. Since he is older, I usually look to him to set an example. Last night, the example he was setting wasn't helping.
So, when I heard his voice on the other end of the phone, I didn't know what was going on. I said "hello" and he responded with, "hi mom. Can you pray for my neighbor?" He went on to share with me about his neighbor who was going through a rough time. Although they had never really talked before except the random waves hello, they had a conversation that had obviously impacted him. They had talked for several hours about life, God, church, and who knows what else. They both shared some things and talked about their churches, inviting the other to participate in things at each others church. Since Rafael has chosen to sleep a few times rather than come to church, I found this reassuring that even on a day he didn't get up for church, he still knows and shares the importance of church and still feels connected to it.
Rafael started conversing with this man because of an act of kindness he had done. When the man asked about paying him, Rafael responded by telling him what he had just recently discovered. Before Rafael totaled his car, he was putting air in his tire most mornings. Then, somehow, he stopped having to put air in. He didn't realize it at the time, but found out later that this man had gone out in the middle of the night and put a new tire on his car! Never did he expect anything in return and he probably never thought my son would find out. What a beautiful way to share God's love!
Although I was woken from a dead sleep, I felt blessed that when my son had something to share, I was the person he called. I treasure the relationship I have with him and I treasure the young man he is becoming- sometimes slowly, but surely!
So, where was God today? God must have known that the two of them needed someone to talk to- both to share with and to learn from. I am grateful for God's hand in my son's upbringing, both when he was young and now that he's older and I can't always be there.
Blessings,
Jennifer
Earlier in the evening, I had been frustrated with my son for his frequent interruptions during youth group. Since he is older, I usually look to him to set an example. Last night, the example he was setting wasn't helping.
So, when I heard his voice on the other end of the phone, I didn't know what was going on. I said "hello" and he responded with, "hi mom. Can you pray for my neighbor?" He went on to share with me about his neighbor who was going through a rough time. Although they had never really talked before except the random waves hello, they had a conversation that had obviously impacted him. They had talked for several hours about life, God, church, and who knows what else. They both shared some things and talked about their churches, inviting the other to participate in things at each others church. Since Rafael has chosen to sleep a few times rather than come to church, I found this reassuring that even on a day he didn't get up for church, he still knows and shares the importance of church and still feels connected to it.
Rafael started conversing with this man because of an act of kindness he had done. When the man asked about paying him, Rafael responded by telling him what he had just recently discovered. Before Rafael totaled his car, he was putting air in his tire most mornings. Then, somehow, he stopped having to put air in. He didn't realize it at the time, but found out later that this man had gone out in the middle of the night and put a new tire on his car! Never did he expect anything in return and he probably never thought my son would find out. What a beautiful way to share God's love!
Although I was woken from a dead sleep, I felt blessed that when my son had something to share, I was the person he called. I treasure the relationship I have with him and I treasure the young man he is becoming- sometimes slowly, but surely!
So, where was God today? God must have known that the two of them needed someone to talk to- both to share with and to learn from. I am grateful for God's hand in my son's upbringing, both when he was young and now that he's older and I can't always be there.
Blessings,
Jennifer
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