Thankful for family, time together
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
Our family recently experienced a turnabout of sorts for about three weeks. It was like nothing we ever experienced before.
My wife and two sons attended Bible Training Institute in Cleveland, Tenn. That left me and my two girls at home for a long time without the others.
What would I do with my two girls, ages 10 and 12, for three weeks?
Even more, what would I do without my boys, ages 14 and 15, for three weeks?
Furthermore – and last but not least – how would I cope, or even survive, without my wife for three weeks?
I’ve been through these scenarios before. They occur annually during Ladies Retreat. But it is only for a weekend. Though it is challenging, I can get by. My wife leaves on Friday and usually returns Sunday afternoon on Ladies Retreat weekend.
It was especially challenging when the girls were younger. I turned into a laughingstock at church on Sunday when the ladies there got a glimpse of the girls’ appearance.
I’m follicly challenged (bald or going bald) and haven’t used a comb, brush, etc. for years. I have no experience fixing girls’ hair or getting little girls ready for church.
The women at church thought it was so hilarious that they would take photos of the girls and send them to my wife.
But ever since my oldest girl turned 7 or 8, I haven’t had to worry about it much. From that point on, she could fix her own hair and her sister’s, along with picking out clothes suitable for church.
Now, they both take care of themselves quite well. During the recent trip, I discovered they not only learned to take care of themselves, but they could also take care of me.
They cleaned and did the dishes. But could they fish? The answer is a resounding yes!
I’m used to my boys. We do our thing and the girls and my wife do their things. My boys and I go fishing, play disc golf and other things.
The girls watch their chick flicks and drink tea. They like to cuddle with my wife on the couch.
During the recent experience, it was just me and the girls. What would we do for three weeks? Obviously, I wanted to fish at some point. I tried to convince the girls they would have an enjoyable time.
I remembered the fishing hole had grills, so I turned it into a “picnic” idea with hamburgers and hot dogs. That seemed to appeal to them.
I was pleasantly surprised when the girls didn’t immediately come for their burgers because they were having too much fun fishing.
Karley caught a nice catfish and brim, while Addie had a gar out of the water before it broke off the line.
We never did go to Burger King, which was my go-to spot when the kids were younger and my wife was off at Ladies Retreat.
We’d go on Friday night. The four kids would immediately run to the indoor playground area and remain there – only to take a slight break when the food arrived.
I watched basketball on TV or read my Bible while the children exerted energy that made them tired by the time we got home.
We upgraded during the recent event, hitting a Mexican restaurant and an Indian restaurant. The girls loved that. They didn’t love the hot dogs they had for lunch nearly every day their mother was gone.
But all in all, it was a wonderful experience with my two girls. I spent a lot of time with them, and we had a lot of fun. Even so, everybody was happy when Mom finally returned.
For Mom, it was back to her normal routine. All I can say is that I am so blessed in the Lord to have a wonderful family.
I am so thankful to God for all of my family members.
