It's Your Kindness

Of all the traits I've learned (correction, am learning)as a parent, I think humility is on the top of the list.

I was totally that parent who said "My kid is never going to wear "swishy" pants all the time".

"We are NOT going to live at the ball field all summer long."

"My kid is NOT going to get into trouble at school."

"My kids would never act like that in public."

Yeah. Well. Guess who's children refuse to wear blue jeans? Guess where we are, not only the entire summer, but most of spring and fall? Guess who's kid got on yellow or red most of their kindergarten year? Guess who's kid throws the BEST tantrums wherever we go?

Mine. The baseball field. Mine. And Mine.

Another part of the humility lesson has come in the form of accepting help.

I stink at it.

Anyway, I'm learning that I can't do this whole "raise 7 kids thing" on my own and that I need to learn to accept people's generosity and allow God to use them to bless our family.

Still...when a Sunday School class adopts you and gifts you with money to purchase Christmas presents for ALL of your kids...

...or when two sweet friends give you a coupon book for everything from babysitting to dog walking...

...or when a local office knocks your socks off with a gift to your family...

...or you have a friend who ALWAYS is there to watch your small ones for you...

...or someone shows up with clothes for your kids...

...or a family gives you their old washing machine not 8 hours after yours dies...

...or friends bring you meals just because....

...or someone secretly pays for your dinner when you are out celebrating your birthday...

I mean...seriously...

Humbling.

How does one ever repay such generosity, especially when it feels so undeserved? How do you EVER say thank you enough? I mean, we aren't saints. We aren't out curing cancer or solving the world's hunger crisis.

We are just a family, raising some pretty awesome kids and trying to do so with grace.

So, to all of you who have gifted our family beyond what we can EVER repay. I just want to say thank you. Thank you for blessing us. We look forward to doing the same for others.