<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> <% Dim sActiveMenu sActiveMenu = "Blog" %> The Life and Times of Jon Graves
 

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

A NEW BEGINNING

This is how it began, kind of. See, this was Tuesday morning. We were supposed to leave on vacation Monday morning. Thankfully the airline notified me that the first leg of our flight was late and that we would miss our connection from Denver to Indianapolis. Three hours later, after much debate (believe me, it was debated), the boys and I decided to sleep in our beds rather than under a Denver International row of seats overnight. So we began our summer vacation a day late.

Now it appears that Christian has a mild form of chicken pox, though the pediatrician couldn't confirm it. If it is, Everen's been exposed to it, and each of them will have a rough few weeks ahead. But that didn't stop us from having some fun today.
Our mission was to find a frog and a salamander. All I can say is that we would never make it as secret agents. Instead of frogs or salamanders, Christian found excessive amounts of mud with his shoes, and we all discovered that mosquitoes love rivers as much as we suspected frogs do. I'm ashamed to admit that it is mosquitoes, not the loss of Jeseca or any other tragedy in my life, that has made me wonder if God really knows what he's doing. Horrible creatures, really.

But then we stumbled upon an old railroad track that crosses through town, and the little boy in me thought it would be fun for all of us to march up track to see what we find. It was awesome.
Old (but still used, evidently) tracks, rusty rail spikes and broken ties...it was like I was an 8-year-old kid again. Part of the fun was wondering if a train was going to come up behind us and force us off the tracks. And for exactly one mile, I challenged myself to walk solely on one side of the track, one foot in front of the other. I actually prayed I wouldn't fall toward the end, and I'm happy to say (and who really cares but me anyway?) that I made it. Yup, I'm definitely an 8-year-old kid.

It made for a great time in place of frogs and mosquitoes. But I have to admit that there was something missing today. I know what it is and it scares me...

So I continue marching down the track of life to discover God's eventual purpose for me. And just as I did today, I do all I can to lead the boys along their own.

It's all for him. I'm just trying to keep from falling off. JG

Monday, June 09, 2008

It Would Have Been 12

Today would have been 12 years married. Twelve years, sweetheart! Crazy. It's so strange to think about the time that's passed and the progress we've made as a family since last August 15th. You know the scripture that says God uses the bad things in our lives for good..... Somehow we will be better without Jeseca than we were with her here. That's the part that really requires faith and trust, isn't it?

I was in church yesterday. The worship band sang I Can Only Imagine. "I can only imagine what it will be like when I walk by your side; I can only imagine what my eyes will see when your face is before me; I can only imagine..." I couldn't help but think that Jeseca knows now. She doesn't have to imagine anymore. She's there doing whatever it is she was able to do at her first glimpse of Jesus. What an amazing thought. I'm envious.

So much is happening now. The boys are just two days away from the end of their first official year in a daily school environment. My dad's (and my) business just landed its first client. My article hit the Web and has served as a springboard for other opportunities to talk about Jeseca, our new life as a Single Dad family, and the hope we have in our great God. And I finally hung some artwork in the house.

This journey continues. Most of it is challenging, but there are so many smiles in it all. And I don't do it alone. I have the help of my family and friends (I love you all so much), and the support of an amazing God who continually shapes and molds my heart into the weapon it should be against my own selfishness and pride. A heart for Him. JG

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