Just so you know I haven’t abandoned this blog, here’s a little joke to hopefully brighten your day.
Working with teenagers, I see a lot of new drivers hit the road.
Yesterday my son came home and said, “I have good news and bad
news. The good news is I got 18 out of 20 on my driver’s test.”I said, “Great! Now what’s the bad news?”
He said, “They were pedestrians.”
We made it home Saturday morning after going in Wednesday morning. It was nice for Kate to finally get some fresh air again. We’ve been getting used to the new dynamics of our little family, and probably will be doing that for quite some time. Hudson is very sweet with his little sister. Kate is still in a lot of pain after the C-Section, but has been recovering well.
Thanks for all your prayers! There’s still a ways to go to get everything to a normal state (plus one new member!). But, God and our many friends have helped us so far!
Here are some more pictures…
Gabriella Helen Tucker was born at 1:00 PM, March 14, 2007. She weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces. Both baby and mom are doing well.
Guess all our real guesses were wrong (except Lauri- she got it COMPLETELY right). My mom has been saying for months we were having a girl, and my family had all been hoping for it… so they got their wish! None of us could be happier!
We went to the doctor yesterday afternoon, and Kate’s fluid levels were a little down. Not at a scary place, but enough for the doctor to schedule a c-section for Wednesday. So, Wednesday at 12:30 PM we’ll be delivering our new baby boy or girl.
Do you think the baby is a boy or girl?
I think about high school a lot.
I didn’t like high school. Those weren’t the glory days, and I look back with few fond memories. On the flip side, they weren’t especially traumatic. I had a few friends, I grew up, I moved on.
But working with teenagers, I’m forced to see things through their eyes. I am forced to try to remember what it was like being uncertain of life or my place in the world. I’m forced to remember what it was like being overwhelmed with self-consciousness. I’m forced to remember how hard it was to face the calling of Christ in the midst of all of that.
I remember how hard it was to think of myself as part of Christ’s kingdom. I wasn’t sure where I even belonged in the world! Every week, when I look out into the eyes of my teenagers, I sense those fears, uncertainty, and insecurity.
And it scares me to death.
It’s been compounded recently as I’ve become more aware of where people are at that I grew up going to church with. I have no desire to be self-righteous or judgmental. The digital age has made it possible for us to keep up with people we would normally lose touch with. Dave and I are ministers, and a few occassionally attend church somewhere, but most have completely checked out. Many of them are living good lives doing good things, but a consistent walk with God doesn’t seem to be part of the picture.
I remember all the Bible Bowl trips, all the devos, all the youth rallies, all the camps, all the retreats, all the service projects, all the times singing together, all the times praying together, all the times spent talking about God and His call to our lives- for all of that to be all but completely abandoned, leaves me with a heavy heart.
As I look back, I don’t see the faces as they were. They are replaced with the faces of teenagers in my youth group. Will the guy who led last week’s devo be cheating on his wife in ten years? Will the girl who sets the soprano pitch for “The Greatest Command” be counting down the hours at work so she can hit the bars at night? In 10 years will I count off how many are still involved in faith-communities, and only need one hand?
I hope not. While I understand people make their own choices, I can’t stand the thought of even one dropping off. My teens are also a very different group than what I grew up with. But, the stakes are just as high.