Catching Glimpses

Jon shared this quote with me.  I'm sure I'm going to butcher it somewhat, but it was something to the effect of  - sometimes the Lord will give you glimpses and show you the fruit of those you invest in. . . not too much though to ensure that you don't do what you do for the wrong reasons.  I'm sure that is cut up, broken up, butchered up, etc., but you get the point.

I've been working on this post for quite a while.  When I'd catch a glimpse, I'd type it out.  Here are some glimpses that God has shown me in how He is working in the heart of my children.

**For Valentines day, we gave our kids Chick-fil-A gift cards.  One day we had the "other" Hendrix girls with us and my girls asked if we could go and spend them.  Hanna told me she was going to use her gift card for KJ.  When I asked Maemae what kind of shake she wanted (I was going to pay for hers).  She said, "I already told Hanna I want a vanilla shake."  I looked at Hanna and said, "Were you going to buy Maemae one too?"  Hanna shook her head yes.  This took all the money on her gift card, and she wouldn't have any money to get herself a milkshake. Melted my heart into pieces.  (I bought Hanna a milkshake).  Her sweet, sacrificial love for others just warms my heart.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse.

**During basketball practice all the girls were shooting baskets.  There weren't enough balls to go around, so Hanna went up to her teammate, gave her her ball, and kept walking.  She wasn't showing or announcing her good deed like, "Here you can have my ball."  She just gave quietly without wanting any praise (even a thank you) from anyone. Such humility.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse. 

**Once a month our church takes communion.  My children know the importance of this, and this isn't some "grape juice and cracker" event.  In fact, we talk about taking communion in any unworthy manner and what that means.  After church that day Alec was clearly angry about something.  He told me he saw all of these little kids just taking communion like a snack and his friend beside him was coloring on a piece of paper. . . not taking this sacred sacrament serious at all.  Alec said he passed the cup because he knew he had sin in his heart. . . his anger over the way others treated it.    Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse. 

**One day I overheard Alec talking about how salvation isn't about our works.  It's about humility.  I was so thankful that at such a young age he knows this.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse.

**The other day Alec and I had a conversation about his future.  He is talking about private sector security (not like Mall Cop. . . I already asked him *grin*).  He was telling me they make about $80,000 a year.  He then said, "Mom, can you imagine me as a single guy making that much money.  I could live off $30,000 and give the rest for missions."  Thank you Lord for allowing me to catch that glimpse.

**There is this little girl at church who didn't have any friends.  In fact, when she was in school she would pay people not to bully her.  My sweet Ash befriended this little girl.  She just didn't say, "Hey, how are you?"  She actually is her friend!!! At different times different adults have approached me at church and commented to me about this.  I didn't tell Ash because I don't want her being this little girl's friend for the praise of man.  One day we picked her up to take her to a birthday party that they were both invited to.  Ashley talked to her in the sweetest voice.  It was such a precious moment.  Jon picked them up that night and took the girl back home.  He later commented to me about just how sweet Ashley was to her. . . a sincere sweet, not a "look at me" (which we've caught her doing before). Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse.

**Ash spent all of money to buy each person in our family a Valentine's Day gift.  I offered to buy the things for her.  She wouldn't let me.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse.  

**Same thing at Chick-fil-A as Hanna, Ash spent her V-day gift card on her friend, Maddie.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse. 

**Ash made some money at a yard sale we recently had.  I saw her pull out her wallet to tithe at church.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse. 

**Hanna was selling cake balls at the yard sale.  She kept bugging me about taking her to get more ingredients.  I was a little frustrated with all I had to do.  She said to me, "Mama I want to get more ingredients because I want to send the money I earn from my cake balls to you to Uganda to help people."  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse. 

**Ash and Hanna are currently collaborating together to save their money for a friend and buy her something special she herself has been saving for.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse. 

**Just today Ash found out she wasn't invited to a birthday party with a girl she has been friends with since she was 4 or 5 years old.  She's not quite sure why.  The friend who told her of this said, "She said that you are mean to her."  This came as a shock to Ashley that her friend would say this.  As we were talking about it, I told Ash that I would get in touch her mom and just see if there was a problem or if she'd done something to hurt her friend in some way.  Ash told me, "No, Mama, it doesn't matter.  Because no matter how she treats me, I still need to treat her like Jesus would.  I'm going to buy her a present and give it to her next week."  I hugged my girl tight.  I know her heart is hurting, yet she still wants to be like Him.  I then told her I would buy the present.  She told me no, that she wanted to buy it.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to catch that glimpse.