souldare

My grace is sufficient for thee . . . (2 Corinthians 2:9 KJV)

When I get started on a mission, I tend to swing to the ruthless side of things.

Today, I continued my new found freedom to fling things that I no longer wanted or thought I needed. A box of school papers neatly filed in a box in the back of the storage room caught my eye. Aha! I said to myself, I am finally courageous enough to get rid of the boys’ old school papers. (I had put together scrapbooks for each of them years ago, and I thought this box was too onerous to go through. I’d just dump the whole thing in the recycling trash can outside.

I marched the box up the stairs and out to the side yard. I started dropping file folders into the tall blue trash can designated for recycling. Part of me wanted to grab them back up and bring them in. No, I told myself, it’s time! I saw the elementary and middle school yearbooks. Maybe I should keep them? No, I assured myself, they won’t want them. So I left them.

Later in the afternoon, our oldest son called from California to catch up on life. I mentioned that I was on a purging mission, and I finally threw away old school papers and the yearbooks. Long pause from his end. Umm, I said, did you want the yearbooks? Yeah, mom that would be nice. Okay, I can rescue them, it’s not too late. Whew! (I am thankful for such an honest son.) After we said our good-byes, I hustled out to the recycling trash receptacle to pull out the yearbooks.

Spilling from the folders, I noticed drawings and stories and papers that I never got into their scrapbooks. I reached down into the bin and started hauling out the file folders. The wind was blowing, so I ran back into the house to get the file box.

I couldn’t do it. It really wasn’t the right time to throw them away. Maybe I should sort through them first.

As I organized the folders in the box, I noticed a couple of things. I found an essay by Son #1 and a card from Son#2. Both items were from a Mother’s Day “assignment” in elementary school. (I guess they are off the hook this year, because this rescue mission just served me up a big helping of Mother’s Day love from past editions of my sons.)

Awww! Kurtis was about 10 at the time he wrote this one. What a wonderful memory! I’m glad we talked today, and that I could enjoy his heartfelt words again this day. Thank you for being honest about the yearbooks!

Inside this one Bradley, about age 10, wrote an acronym poem:

Mourns for others’ hardships.
Outrageous, is the number of her purses.
Trustworthy of promises.
Handles items with care.
Everyone likes her.
Refrains from being repugnant.

And he gave me coupons, which apparently I never redeemed! Hmmm…and there is no expiration date on them. Thanks, Bradley!

When I least expect it, grace saves me from myself again and again. Whew! That was a close one.

When was the last time you noticed grace in your day?