Blaze The Trail!

I do have some regrets in my parenting.  One that particularly stands out is our decision to allow our man child not to go with us on a Disney trip we made when we lived in a different state, nine hours from the park.

Why did he stay behind?  Well…he wanted to.  He doesn’t like theme parks and going with him wasn’t fun for anyone.  We also justified his not going by knowing he was staying with a family that we fully trusted.  And finally, quite honestly, we could afford a nicer hotel with only one room.

As I look back, I see my own personal agenda.  His not going would make my life more simple.   Shameful right?  But true.

That said, it’s summer again and we are in the midst of a road trip.  Our youngest and only one at home could have considered not going, or she could make her pitch why she didn’t need to go with us.  The road trip will have a “detour” of ministry in the middle of a very fast week.

I love her perspective!  We have learned from our earlier faux pas as parents and weren’t going to give her an option.  However, without making it an option she (on her own) considered her camps and friends invitation and after hearing our road plans her response was priceless.  Upon hearing our plans our youngest said, “I wouldn’t miss a family adventure!”

How blessed we are to be a family.  How blessed we are to not to have an option to add to our “regret list” as parents!  How thankful we are to be on this adventure together.

I still love the old song by Steven Curtis Chapman, “Saddle Up Your Horses!” One line of the song is, “we’ve got a trail to blaze!”  I am certainly grateful our smaller family unit is blazing this trail together!