We Love You, Daddy, oh yes we do...

Have you heard that song? From the musical Bye Bye Birdie? Come on, theater junkies! Tell me you have heard it! Only it's Conrad they miss, not Daddy. Small but important change in the lyrics. -

...we love you Daddy, and we'll be true...
...when you're not near us, we're blue...
...oh, Daddy, we love you...

We've had some weeks this spring with Daddy away. They went something like this...

First week: Daddy Leaves, mommy skips happily to her list of to-do's, and starts to manically check them off one by one. Daddy comes home on day 7 and the house is spotless, the kids are happy.

Mommy thinks, "I can't wait for the next one!".

Daddy thinks "My wife is a ROCK star!"

OK, he probably didn't really think that. Maybe it was more cave-man like: "Yah. Me Wife she gooooooooood."

Second week away, approximately one month later: Mommy enters the week crabby, with a chip on her shoulder. Mommy has at least one episode of yelling each day that requires an apology to each and every child in her home, and goes to bed early every night to try and cope. She leaves the dishes in the sink and the dirt on the floor. Daddy comes home to a Mommy running out the door to him and sobbing on his shoulder like a crazy woman, and a home that looked like a frat house that had a party the night before.

Except they served white grape juice.

And PB & J sandwiches.

And cheerios.

And Mac n Cheese.

One month later. Third week away: The night before the exodus, the children are all sobbing. Mommy is thinking in her very astute mind that this may not be a good sign. Middle child cries self to sleep. Mommy is tempted to follow suit.

The goodbyes:


The rest of the story is about grace. Abundant grace. Grace in my anger. Grace in my sin. Grace in my children's longings. Grace in my child's awareness of her need for grace. Grace in beautiful laughter and tears. Grace in silly "picnic" meals on the living room floor. Grace in pizza. His grace is woven throughout my days.

What a difference it makes when I ask for grace at each breath. And then thank God for His grace at each exhale. If that doesn't cure you of a sour attitude, I don't know WHAT does.

Trust me. I have lots of experience with sour attitudes.

And God has lots of experience with all-sufficient grace.

Full story TBD. It's looking up.