Small Graces

It was 8:30 in the evening after a long, full Independence Day.  We had taken the family to see 'Brave', the latest Pixar movie, in the morning, then spent all afternoon and evening with our eldest daughter and family helping them get settled into a new home.  By virtue of habit, I had gotten up at my usual pre-dawn hour and run 4 miles in the morning.  That, combined with lugging grandkids and boxes of stuff around all afternoon had sapped me.  Fireworks were scheduled to start at 9, but I was fading fast.  So, much to the dismay of a couple of our younger offspring, we piled into the van and left, passing numerous cars jostling for parking spaces in view of the upcoming display.

I was doing well to keep alert while driving the 17 miles home, so the rumble of discussion in the back of the van mostly went un-noticed.  But I did catch this:

Aubrey: "I still don't understand why we aren't we going to see the fireworks."

Mercy: "Dad is tired and grumpy.  But it's for the best."

Children of course are quick to pick up on the emotional state of their parents.  That Mercy would perceive I was out of sorts was not surprising.  But what struck me was the juxtaposition of "tired and grumpy" with "for the best".  In spite of my weariness, I shot a glance at Karen and we both smiled.  More than anything "But, it's for the best." was a statement of faith that in spite of a weary Dad making what was essentially a selfish decision to go home before the fireworks, Mercy believed there was a reason for it.

As we crested a hill a mile or two from home, a burst of red and green caught my eye in the direction of the coast.  Fireworks were still in progress a few miles away.  Here was an opportunity.  In years past, we have watched the fireworks display, at a bit of a distance, from the top of the hill near our house.  Happily, Karen was willing to drive up the hill with the girls.  So I pulled over to the curb as we come up to our driveway, got out and headed in to bed.  The girls got their fireworks and I got my rest.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

Grace shown to me through my children, once again.