Trustworthy

"Children, obey your parents...

for this is right" 

Ephesians 6:1

I went for a walk with my kids last week down a nature trail near our house.  Yes, that walk.  We went to a beautiful area where there's a small stream, and a good sized pond, and rocks to climb both up and down.  There are untold wonders for my Amazing Boy to explore, and my Awesome Girl to photograph.  

Exploring Boy, photographed by Photographing Girl

Probably because he's a boy, my boy loves to explore, and he loves to discover.   All of his life he has thrilled to finding a cool rock, a neat leaf, or a beautiful flower.  I've been the recipient of many of those treasures, of course.  'Cuz what's the fun in finding cool things unless you share the joy?

But he also enjoys finding man-made treasures, too.  For instance, balls of any sport ~ his record was finding a baseball, golf ball, and lacrosse ball, all on the same hike.   Of course, there are times when I have to say to him, "I don't think you should keep that.  Someone might come back looking for that."  Or, "Oh, gross.  No, I am not putting that in my purse.  If you want it, you carry it."  'Cuz after all, he's a boy.  Which I love about him...

So on this last walk, I pointed out a baseball to him.  I think baseballs are okay to keep when you find them, unless you can try to find the owner nearby.  As a matter of fact, I think baseballs are like dollar bills ~ there's only so many of them out there; they just keep getting passed from hand to hand.  He loses one, he finds a different one, and meanwhile, some boy who lost one is enjoying the one my son lost.  Nice system, right?

So he climbed down a small bluff by the stream, to get a better look at this baseball, and decide if it was in good enough condition to bother saving.  He decided it wasn't ~ too scuffed up and old, I guess ~ and he pulled his arm back to throw it in the stream.  I told him not to, thinking A) some other boy might come along and want it, and throwing it in the stream would ruin it; and 2) I think the less man-made stuff in the stream, the better.   I know that artificial coral reefs can be a good thing, but I don't think a baseball in a stream counts as an artificial reef.

Anyhow, I told him not to, and then I said, "Come on, let's keep moving," and I turned my back to continue walking.

And then I heard a splash.

I whipped my head around, astounded, but immediately grinned to myself when I saw that the baseball was still in his hand.  For a second I thought he had thrown it in the water anyway.  My kids aren't perfect, but I really can't see either one of them disobeying a direct order.  He had just picked up a nearby rock, and thrown that in. 

And I was a little surprised at myself that I had doubted him, even for an instant.  That's just not him, and I should have known it.  Perfect?  No.  But doing their best to live lives that please God, and a mom can't ask for more than that.

~ "I have no greater joy 

than to know that my children walk in truth." ~

3 John 1:4

~