Walking in Truth

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." 3 John 4 (NIV)

In a recent Bible Bits devotional, I shared that "Alexa" (Amazon's Echo dot) turned out to be James Bruce's surprise /"nailed it" Christmas present. The other sleeper gift in our family turned out to be just that: a gift for sleeping. My daughter Meredith had "helped" me with the purchase of our granddaughters' Christmas gifts. Actually Meredith shopped; all I had to do was pay and wrap! It was a really good deal for me time wise, but I kept feeling that something was missing. I've never been a good shopper and don't like to go to the mall to "motsy," my mother in law's word for looking and window shopping. I don't like crowds, looking for parking spaces, or eating at food courts. And, quite honestly, I'm a little insecure when knowing what items will please my grandchildren. Things have changed a lot in thirty years!

About two weeks before Christmas one of my friends mentioned that she had purchased Pottery Barn sleeping bags as gifts for her two grand girls. I went online and looked, but decided against it because of #1 the price was high and #2 I wasn't sure Julia and Caroline would really like or use them. Meredith had never even mentioned sleeping bags as a possible gift. One thing I've learned over the last five years of being "Mia" is this: If the girls don't like it, they won't use it. Still, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that sleeping bags might be a good surprise. So a couple of days later, I checked the web site again. Lo and behold, the Pottery Barn sleeping bags were on sale at 40% off and were still available in both pink and purple! Double bonus!! I ordered pink for Julia and purple for Caroline so both girls would have their favorite colors.

The girls' sleeping bags arrived two days later in oversized boxes that consumed about half of my front porch. I still wasn't sure about the girls' reaction to them, but the sleeping bags were pretty, feminine without being fru-fru, and oh so extra soft. Meredith was a little uncertain as well. But a few days later while shopping with Julia in Target, Julia said, "Mama, will you buy me a sleeping bag?" With only a few days left until Christmas, Meredith suggested that they wait until after Christmas. When she texted me "Good idea!" I was at least hopeful that the girls would like them. Maybe my uneasy feeling had been God's nudge to go ahead and purchase them.

We exchanged our family Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. Julia and Caroline opened their sleeping bags, politely said "Thank you," and went back to playing the musical instruments that Uncle Daniel had given them. Much like Alexa for James Bruce, Daniel thought outside the box and purchased a small, but real, ukulele for Julia(5) and a small xylophone with a carrying case for Caroline (3). Both presents were hits, especially since Daniel took the time to begin teaching Julia some basic chords. We eventually had to put ice on Julia's fingers because she had rubbed them raw practicing chords!

I didn't think a lot more about the sleeping bags until Christmas Day evening. Meredith sent pictures of both girls sleeping on their new sleeping bags in the family room under their Christmas tree. Julia and Caroline were completely exhausted from the whirlwind of Christmas, especially Christmas on a Sunday. But both girls looked exactly the way most of us dream that our children and grandchildren will be: a picture of complete rest and contentment. It was a moment in time and while I know it will not always be this way, I was grateful for the moment and the picture.

Those sleeping bags continued to bless us over the next week. The girls insisted on taking them to visit their grandparents home in Nashville. Julia and Caroline used the bags for naps in the car while traveling and slept on them during their hotel stay. Three year old Caroline, who has had trouble recently sleeping through the night, especially seemed comforted by her sleeping bag. Meredith and I both were surprised that the girls continued to maintain an interest.

The icing on the cake, however, came a few days after Christmas. While putting up laundry, Meredith went into Julia's room, and saw her pink sleeping bag on the bedroom floor. Julia's Bible lay in the middle and on top of the sleeping bag. Julia was combining her desire to read with working on her kindergarten memory work from Psalm 121. Her sleeping bag provided the comfort zone with which to do both. By God's providence, I gave sleeping bags which are now being used as tools for cultivating a child's love of reading and a desire for God's Word. 

We hear a lot about "gifts that keep on giving." I believe the advertisers missed the mark and should point us instead to the Giver who keeps on giving good, good gifts to His children. God gave us His Son and so we celebrate Christmas. God gives us family and resources with which to give our own good gifts. By His grace, He continues to give rich gifts: a love of reading and a desire for His Word. No diamond in the world, no trophy, fortune or fame can compare to the joy, indeed the delight, to hear that our children are walking in the truth. And on the flip side, there is probably no pain greater than knowing that they are not. And so we pray. And we keep praying. We teach, train, and model for them as best we can, but at the end of the day, a child's heart is ultimately God's work, not ours. My life prayer verse for the Evans family is Hebrews 13:21:

"May He work in us that which is pleasing to Him."(NIV)

I encourage you to consider selecting an annual verse for which to pray for yourself, your children, or your grandchildren or family. In Isaiah 45:11(NASB), God challenges us with these words, "Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons and you commit to Me the work of My hands." With those words God claims ownership and responsibility for our children. They were His before they are ours and they will be His long after we are gone. Our job is to ask; His job is to work in each of us, that which is pleasing to Him. So let's ask. And let's keep asking for God to do what only He can do: change our hearts!

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."