The Straight Arrow

Psalm 127:3-5

3 Children are a gift from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.
4 Children born to a young man
are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.
5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

I love this verse. Although I sometimes feel like our 'quiver' may be a little crowded, I can't imagine it any other way. I love my children and too often, fall into the motherly game of "guess what my son did, guess what my daughter said". So, I decided I wanted to play that game again since I am so good at it!

My oldest son Seth, is my quiet arrow. His brother Braeden is the one to get hurt in freak accidents, the one who is unafraid to ask strangers for directions, the one who loves to make the room laugh. His little sister Addison, is my beautiful princess. She prances around the house like she owns the place (and probably does...) But Seth, he is my pride. Of the three, he looks the most like T

and acts the most like me in his shy and quiet way. I was told recently at their child care that "you have good kids. No really... you have really good kids." But it is when there are art supplies from one end of the house to another, or dirty clothes in the middle of the living room floor, or a mud-streaked bathroom - that I forget that I do have really good kids. They are a blessing from the Lord.

With Seth being the oldest, he is often the one to get overlooked. Partly because he can go to the bathroom by himself, and partly because he doesn't need to have his nose wiped by mom. But it is when he is quietest that he impresses me the most. His little acts of kindness that make him who he is, astound me. For example, both the boys had been given $6 by their grandparents recently and it was burning a hole in their respective pockets. The next day, Seth told me that Braeden had been playing with his gameboy and had left it outside. I told Braeden that if we didn't find the gameboy in good condition, that I was taking his prized $6 as it wasn't fair for him to loose his brother's game and go on to buy himself a toy. Braeden began to cry and Seth leaned up in the car to whisper to me, "it's o.k. mom, you can take my money instead." And then today, with his birthday money being saved for a really special something, he comes to me in Family Christian Store with a really thoughtful gift (to remain unnamed until December) and asks "mommy, can I buy this for Daddy's birthday?". What mom wouldn't want to brag about such a gentleman??

Not only is he the most handsome child I have ever seen, but he is the most wonderful, most talented, most gifted artist in his school (see how well I can play this brag game??). Seth is such a perfectionist and will only accept the best works of art from himself. I walked him through his first water-color painting and was amazed at the results (he drew/painted while I suggested colors and techniques) -

and I love to see his numerous characters that escape his backpack daily -


but the thing that I am most proud about with my straight-as-an-arrow son is his love for Christ. Seth asked Jesus into his heart about a year ago and has lived a life worthy of a son of God ever since. While he does still make childish mistakes, and often makes some really bad choices; he doesn't try to hurt others, he has empathy, and he shows love to those around him. He stands up for what is right at home and at school and has been overheard by his teachers telling others about things a Christian should believe in. So while his football career or his art contests may one day leave him lacking, I know that he will still be able to claim the greatest prize for eternity as that is something he can never loose. And that my friends, is something a mother can hold as a trophy as it is far more valuable than championships or first-place ribbons. While our little ones may not always stay on a straight path, I know that in Christ, their arrows will remain straight. And with that, I can be proud to show off my quiver, messy and heavy as it may seem some times.