Bucket-O-Snakes

Our "Ladies Day" is Saturday morning at church. This consists of a morning of beautiful women, singing, brunching, listening, praying, laughing and lunching.

This year, for reasons I'm not positive, someone is posing as "Eve", and needed a snake to finish off her outfit.

My Avery had many snakes throughout his young life. Some we "snake-sat" during school vacations, but most are rubber or this very cool technique using wood which makes these fake snakes look very alive.

So, I started looking in his closet for the Bucket-O-Snakes.

Avery is a saver. A saver of Tonka Trucks, Lego's, Fire Trucks, Thunder Loop Tracks (I can still hear him saying "Thunder Loop" with his sweet young voice), Hot Wheels, and robots. His closet is full of these things as well as his Architectural Drawings from High School, his DVD's (MacGyver, My Name Is Earl, Dukes of Hazzard), stacks of magazines, and of course, clothes.

He not only saves, he takes care of. So, these things from years gone by are in as good a shape today as they were when he received them.

Lex was brave enough to climb in the closet and search for the popcorn tin holding the snakes, and as he opened it, we discovered more saved items. Not only snakes, but military patches from his Grandpa, his Dad's old Class B license from 15 years ago, and notes. Piles of notes. Notes Lex and I had written on little pieces of paper and stuck in the lunch box. Notes that said, "I love you", "Have a Great Day", "Praying for your spelling Test", "Can't wait to see you after school", "You are precious to me"...as well as countless other little things.

We think, as parents, we need to keep up with the latest things not only for ourselves, but for our kids. We need to make sure we provide them with everything they not only need to survive, but need to succeed. As I looked through that bucket, I realized there wasn't much $ worth attached to it, but the worth of my son becoming an amazing young man is there. There are representations from many people in his life who loved him unconditionally and believed in him at every turn.

That bucket is invaluable.

We all have a bucket...Are you filling them with goodness?

Philippians 4:8 (New International Version)

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.