Monday, June 30, 2008

Confidence

It is our first son's birthday today so I've been thinking about sons. What a blessing is a son. Yes, daughters are blessings too, but a son is - confidence. In many ways.

Physically, confidence in their brute force. Yes, as in lifting heavy things! I know daughters can struggle to lift heavy things too, but a son - he does it with such ease. Take for instance - carrying heavy things up stairs is not only carried up those stairs - they seem to bound up those stairs! Hauling that heavy bag of garbage out, "Careful, it's very heavy." But it seems only to be a tiny back pack as they carry it away. Security? When my sons are around I feel more confident in my own security. There are confidences to be had when sons are around!

I never did get down on the floor to teach my baby boys to make car sounds but one day, there he was - on the floor making car sounds. I had busied myself with my three daughters before my sons came and had watched my daughters do "girl" things for years. Now here was my first son, making car noises. I remember standing in wonder, watching him.

One day as I was busy in the kitchen, he slid the patio door open and asked me, "Mom? Can I have your wheels?" "Wheels?" "Yeah, the ones right here," he pointed to the two wheels on the BBQ grill. Never once did my daughters ever want those ol' wheels! "No," I said flatly, "Those are my wheels."

My Dad was disgruntled with Doug and I for too many years after we first were married. I long suspected it had to do with us getting married anyway after his big announcement - "there will be no more marriages for two years!" We languished under his disapproval for much too long! Dad!!! Wasted years that could have been blessed years. (Sadly, my Dad passed away in 1987, only 61.)

I laid my youngest son Kris into Dad's arms and I can remember his happy face when he looked at Kris for the first time. "Oh, you got another boy! I better now call Doug - my son," he announced.

For years he called my Dougie "that boy." When our first son Klint was born he announced, "Doug is not a boy anymore, I will now call him man." When Kris was born he said, "Klint is now the man, Kristophoer is the boy, and Doug I will call my son." I do remember the heart felt joy I had that day. I miss the simple joys of having Dad around - a lot.

And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17.

Maybe it had something to do with his own upbringing - these many announcements. We all seem to live our lives with unsaid laws don't we?

When I look at the men boys out there today I am ----- seriously worried! They know how to wear their caps; they know how baggy their pants should or shouldn't fit; they know how to strut; they know which music is the kind; they even know how to woo a woman into living against the rules set in God's word, even the unsaid rules in her heart (Just watch Judge Judy!).

God forbid that we should ever be in a position of having to put any confidences in help from such. Better yet, our sons should be taught to be responsible. To be leaders. To be gentle with power. To care for their pets with kindness. To take care of their toys and not trash them. To be aware of the weakness women have to deal with every month! That dastardly cycle that wrecks havoc to our emotional up and down months!

Both of my sons birthdays are in June. All my daughters birthdays are in September, yes, we decided to have our daughters in September and sons in June. ha! NO, we didn't, it just happened that way.

Yesterday Klint and Calli came over to share the letter Klint had just received telling him that he had PASSED his FE/EIT test. And that has to do with Electrical Engineer stuff. It is an eight hour long test covering twelve topics in the general engineering session test and thirteen topics in the electrical engineering session test! Congratulations Klinton! As your Gramppa Van would say: "You done good!"

... and happy birthday Klinton. You are a blessing to both Dad and I. I appreciate your heart and how you live to praise and worship God's Son, Jesus Christ. It has been a blessing to be your Mom and I am "well pleased." I will always remember the day you were born and your Dad laid his head down on my shoulder and cried. I am sure he was thanking God for the blessing of a son - after three daughters. Then three years later he got his "bonus boy" too!

God has been good to us. Not only do we have our own sons, we have two added sons our daughters married. May God work in their hearts and lives too, bringing them both to the point of wanting foremost in life to praise and worship Jesus Christ - above all else. It is such a blessing to know God's Son, and better yet - to be known by Him. We are family!

May the sons in each one of your lives rise up to become your men heroes that you can fully rest your confidence in!

12 comments:

TO BECOME said...

Dear Connie Marie, this one made me cry and cry and cry and cry. I have four such sons. The ones you can count on and have confidence in and etc. I am so thankful for the sons God gave to me. I can see you are as well.

Happy Birthday to both you sons.

I have two sons who have birthdays in June. June 7th and June 30th. We are so blessed. I have got to go, I am still crying and can't see very well. Thank you, connie from Texas

Faith said...

Loved reading all this!
I only have daughters and we are done with children so I won't have a son until my daughters find that special someone to marry! Which I pray for everyday...that my future son in law would be a godly man with good character....
Happy birthday to your boy!!

Klint VanWingerden said...

Mom, ... i have a hard time explaining/writing the feelings i have when i read your thoughts (my sweaty eye-balls used every dry spot on my shirt! I can't see anymore!), but i want to say something... Even though there are unspoken truths in our family, its good to hear it and to say it. Thank you Mom.
I have a deep love and respect for you Mom. All of us kids do. When i hear you say that we give you confidence (...i'm going to start crying again) ...it reminds me of the responsibility i feel and so willingly accept, ...to honor you.
The fifth commandment lays it out quite simply. When your Mom and Dad have to depend on you, don't let them down. Honor your father and mother.
So, I love you Mom and thank you for being you, a woman that has all my respect and love.

Thanks again,
Your Son

ps. thank you to all for wishing me a happy birthday!

Tammy said...

What a beautiful post!
And oh wow...what a truly tender son you were blessed with, I can tell, by his comment just above....

Yesterday was my oldest child's birthday, July 1...she just turned nine.
I only have girls, and you are so right about how different and special boys and girls each are. My own experience has been through others' boys...but it's amazing how different genders are from birth!

Thank you for sharing these beautiful thoughts...
And happy birthday to your son!
~Tammy

nancy said...

A great post, Connie Marie. You have a gift for expressing the inexpressible.
Love,
Nancy

Niall MacC said...

Just popping by to wish you and yours a happy 4th of July from Ireland!
Ruth

Susannah said...

What can I say? This was beautiful. Really a nice piece Connie Marie. Your Dad... what a character! I'm sure you really do miss him a lot.

I have one son, and he's a delight, and a strong man, AND a follower of Christ to boot. I am blessed to have one of each; the Lord gave me just what I wanted. :~D

Blessings!

Attie said...

OOHH a beautiful post as a mother of 3 precious boys you could of said it better!!!

Constance said...

Sons are truly special to us mamas! I love my girls and are relationships are totally different from my relationship with Charlie. I don't know if it's because he's a boy, his personality or that he's my "baby". It's probably a little of all 3.

Hope your summer is going well. I've been distracted a lot from blogging here lately with the busyness of summer! In the picture of your FIL, I can't get over how much your Doug looks like him!

hugs,
Connie

TO BECOME said...

Dear Connie Marie, have been missing you! Hope you are well. Have a great day just wanted you to know that you are missed. connie from Texas

Shakespere said...

Hi. I enjoyed reading.

Susan Stevenson said...

I don't know how I found your blog, but I wanted you to know that this entry truly touched my heart - especially your son's comment above. I raised two sons, and I too am so proud of them and the men that they grew to be. It is such a special relationship we mothers have with our sons, and you described it beautifully. Thank you! ~Susan