Blake

James Dobson is quoted as saying,"I have concluded that the accumulation of wealth, even if I could achieve it, is an insufficient reason for living.

When I reach the end of my days, a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses, land, stocks and bonds ~ nor is fame of any lasting benefit.

I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me.
Nothing else makes much sense."

Someone shared that quote with my prayer and fellowship group this morning and all I could say was "amen" as I read it.
His words took on a new meaning for me as my day unfolded. Hannah and Jon had enrolled 11 1/2 year old Blake in the local Christian school, and applied for a scholarship to help with tuition.Jon is still out of work, but part of his child support for Blake was supposed to go toward helping Blake get into a better school environment, for more spiritual support for Jon and Hannah as parents, and just more structure and support all around for Blake. He has been excited about it right down to "YAY" for uniforms!!!, and then the money became an issue. Again. I suggested that we do a scholarship car wash for Blake, and set it up. When Hannah and Jon told Blake about doing a car wash for school money, he asked if it was just going to be the three of them. Hannah said,"No, Grammy, Pappa Charlie, the kids, probably (our boy's friends) Peter and Andy, maybe Abby." He said "WHAT???????????????????" "They are doing that for ME??" "They know they don't HAVE TO do this , right?" "WHY do they want to help me?" He could not get his mind around the fact that family and friends just help each other.To explain: His bio- mom and living situation have never been like that and as a result, Blake himself can be pretty difficult to hang out with. His worldview is pretty much what his mom has taught him by example and word..."Its all about me, get out of my way, I am going to get what's mine...ME first, You want it? Get it YOUR OWN SELF." I cried when Hannah shared Blake's reaction with me. He has helped us with a couple of mission trip car washes when it was his weekend with Jon and Hannah, but he just did it because Jon told him that's what was going on that day. That FAMILY, particularly "step" family, or friends, would spend a day in the 96 degree heat on a Saturday hoping for cars to wash SO THEY COULD GIVE THE MONEY TO BLAKE was so big to him! Sadly, his bio mom didn't come, his third Gramma didn't stop by except to say "hi" and leave. It was not the most "successful" car wash we've ever done, in terms of dollars, but as I thought about that, thought about how we were really ministering to Blake just by BEING there: Dobson's words came back to me with a fresh meaning. I knew they were totally true. I didn't know God was going to bless me with such a down home object lesson to "prove" it.
My grandson needs to know in so many ways that are not familiar to him, that he is loved just for being Blake, that he has value, that he is deserving of invested time and effort, that THIS is how God designed and intends family: blood family, "Step" family, adopted family, Body of Christ family, to love each other. Someone told me the other day that this is the "Royal Command" that we love each other as ourselves. I wasn't thinking about Blake when I heard that expression, I wasn't thinking about the reality of a "Royal Command" when we were all out hopping up and down on the sidewalk with our CAR WASH signs( which Hannah and I painted last night) or taking turns washing dirty cars and trucks and advertising out on the sidewalk. I wans't thinking when I planned a car wash for Blake's tuition that it would be anything more than washing cars for tuition. It was FAR BEYOND that. If we'd made $10, it wouldn't have made much difference. GOD'S PLAN for the day was that we show Blake how He wants us to get real and love each other. By the end of the day, Blake had been ministered to maybe more than weeks of anything else could have ministered. Blessed be the Name of the Lord for how He knew to direct us to love on Blake!!