Holy Water

A friend just sent me an email that I've received and read before, but today it took on a whole new meaning for me. It's the one about the little boy who wets his pants in school and is terrified of the ridicule he is sure to receive, but who is "rescued" at the last minute by a little girl in his class who "trips" as she carries the goldfish bowl and spills water from it into the little boy's lap. At the end of the day, the little boy asks her if she did it on purpose and she tells him that she, too, wet her pants once in school. The final message is to remind us to seize every opportunity to do good.

Well, last weekend we saw several examples of people who seized the opportunity to "do good". Jonathon and I traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, to visit my brother and attend the South Carolina/LSU game.......yes, Jonathon cheered for a team OTHER than the Bulldogs (remember, he's a family man FIRST). Prior to the game, we tailgated with my nephew's fraternity, and I was definitely impressed with the reception Jonathon got from the group. They chatted with him and welcomed him in a true southern manner. My nephew had arranged for one of their associates (a.k.a. pledge) to drive us to the stadium before the game which minimized the amount of walking Jonathon would have to do. We were then allowed to ride the elevator with him to the upper deck where our seats were located (yeah, I think my brother was impressed!) When we decided to leave in the 3rd quarter, we planned to walk back to my brother's truck, but a guardian angel offered his services (in a "stretch" golf cart) and drove us right to my brother's truck! At first he said he'd get us as close as he could, but in the end drove us within a few feet of where we needed to be! Talk about seizing the opportunity!

We have been blessed so many times by those who have seized the opportunity to do good. Every time I see someone offer their assistance to Jonathon (when not doing so would have been so much easier), I am reminded of the story of the little girl who purposefully spills water in her classmate's lap. We each have opportunities every day to make another feel less conspicuous........do we always take advantage of those opportunities? I doubt it. In Columbia, South Carolina, however, we were honored to be part of a small group of individuals who determined that spilling a little water in his lap might just make him feel that much more accepted. Bulldogs? Gamecocks? Does it really matter? Not when we choose to do good......Thank God for those who seize the opportunity!

Cracking the Books

Jonathon is off to a great start this fall! He is taking a full class load (12 hours) for the first time since returning to school and is doing really well. I admit that we' ve been very worried about how he would manage, but so far he's doing great. He has taken tests in three of his classes and made "B"s on each. He has also written a paper for one class and received a score of 23 out of 25 possible points. Not bad for the kid that the doctors said would "likely be in a vegetative state" if he survived his first surgery three years ago! We have been unbelievably blessed in Jonathon's recovery.

He is again living in the fraternity house, perhaps not the most ideal living arrangement for him, but one that works considering that it is necessary for him to live on campus for his transportation needs. Like last year, transportation services picks him up at the house for each of his classes and drops him back there after each class (or wherever on campus he needs to go such as the dining hall or other campus building). It is really a wonderful service. Surprisingly (to me anyway), I no longer worry each day if he is "where he's supposed to be" or whether he's done his homework. I have learned that I have to back off and trust that he is capable of returning to college and making it on his own there. After all, God brought him this far; why would I doubt now that He would simply abandon Jonathon? As Jonathon himself reminds us, he is quite able to do for himself and no longer needs our constant "hovering". (That is definitely easier said than done!) Will I ever stop worrying? "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." ~ Philippians 4:6

So along with classes goes the REAL reason Jonathon loves being back on campus.......his beloved Bulldogs! Although this past Saturday was a bit of a disappointment (that's definitely an understatement), there is nowhere else besides Athens, Georgia, he'd rather be on a Saturday in the fall. He even made it out to the quad to catch a picture with Jeff in front of the College GameDay bus last weekend! Obviously, this was taken BEFORE the game.......note the smiles on their faces! Ah well, the Dawgs will get a break this weekend, and Jonathon can come home for some much needed rest. The following weekend the Vols roll into town, and THAT, my friends, is another story!