Is that it??

Most of you know that I have 5 children: Bradley,16, Andrew, 14, Evan, 12, Honey, 10, and Isabelle, 7. It never stops being amazing that they are all so different. I am so amused and shamelessly proud of all of them. It's almost tacky.

Recently, while sitting on the couch with Honey, watching a little Sponge Bob, God spoke to me. His voice was not thunderous, or still and small for that matter. It was a high pitched voice, not shrill, but up there, with a heavy southern accent. He said, via Honey, "So. Let me get this straight. God made us to live for Him? We pray and worship Him. We go to church. Is that it? (if you're not saying this in the high voice with the accent, you're robbing yourself. Back to Honey) What are we doing here? Why did he make us? What's the point?"

Now, I know that everyone has eloquent answers to these questions. I pride myself on being able to come up with some deep stuff in a pinch. Unfortunately, I, that particular day or week (ok, month), wasn't getting the whole 'Why are we here?' thing. In fact, I wasn't even caring enough to inquire. Now, if God would have asked with his big, outdoor voice, I could have just fallen limp, flopped like a dying fish, and said "I don't know, God. Don't you feel sorry for me?" But since He was using Honey (nice touch), I had to come up with something. Here is my child, my love, my extention, my 10 year old looking to me for hope and meaning in her young, unjaded, green life. Here I am wanting to say, "Well, Honey, it stays just like this, and then you get to do other people's laundry until Jesus breaks open the sky. Good luck. Keep a positive attitude, too." No, I didn't. But I thought it. Then I dug deep.

I told her that we are supposed to let God change us into His likeness, and the way He does that is by us loving other people, especially the annoying ones. That's it. The meaning of life. Love people. Don't just talk about it. There is always someone to love. I've never been without in that area. Everyone needs it, and we are transformed when we do it, and we are transformed when we receive it. Honey said, "Oh." as she nodded slowly. Made sense to her. That's not so deep. God's going to take care of the judging. It's our job to love, to touch, to hug, to feed, clothe, teach, play with, listen to, pay for, pray for, and on and on. Good luck. Keep a positive attitude, too!