Keeping My Word

This week John Michael asked to hang out with his friends on Friday night. They wanted to go to Austin’s house to hang out until Saturday morning then come over here to play basketball, specifically wheelchair basketball. He asked me if we could clear off the basketball court so they could use it. I said, “Sure, I can do that”. I was thinking that I would just use the snow blower and be done with it.

On Friday morning I went to the gym and got a good workout in then came home to clear the basketball court so it would be dry for the guys by Saturday morning. Well, I got the snow blower started and was clearing it off when it quit working on me. I put gas in it and tried starting it. Nothing. Tried again. Nothing.

It was decision time for me. Was I going to suck it up and shovel or quit like the snow blower? I had already gotten a good workout in and did I really need another one?

It wasn’t about the physical part of the action. It became an ethical issue. I said that I was going to clear off the basketball court for them and I needed to follow through. I needed to keep my word. My promise needed to be kept to these impressionable young men.

I went to the garage and got a snow shovel out and walked back to the bball court. I shoveled and I shoveled for an hour. The snow was wet and heavy. Luckily the sun was shining and it wasn’t freezing cold. It was actually good weather for this. My body was tired and I could feel my muscles were going to be sore by the end of the day. I needed to keep my word so I kept shoveling.

For most of the hour it was a time of having a conversation with God and simply sensing his presence with me. We had a conversation about how I as a parent need to be the example of keeping my word. 

I can talk the talk but am I willing to walk out what I say? 

Am I being the kind of example my kids need?

So many times it would be easy to make an excuse in not following through, not keeping our word. It would be so easy to say, “the snow blower quit on me and so I couldn’t clear off the bball court. Sorry guys.” That’s the easy thing to do. The other option is to be the mature adult and do what I said I would do. This isn’t always what we want to do. Doing the right thing means sacrifice in many situations. This was one of those times for me. 

Did I want to shovel? Not really. 

Did I need to shovel? Yes. 

Why? Because it was up to me to set the example of keeping my word to these young men (who are watching the adults in their lives!) even if it meant some sacrifice on my part.

 Was it worth the sacrifice? Absolutely!

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Recently I discovered the Rend Collective Experiment band. My dad's (and mine too) favorite hymn is Be Thou My Vision. This is their version of it. Love it! Just had to share it. :)