HOPE

Our daughter, Hope, just got back from Kid's Camp a couple of weeks ago. She was so excited because she won a Game Cube...whatever that is. She's been so busy since she got home that she's not even asked to get it out of the box and hooked up. I hope that doesn't sound like she's unappreciative. Like I said, she's very excited about winning this thing. I know as the school year gets underway, the days get cooler and shorter and the rain starts to fall, we'll get it out and hook it up. And then there will be time restrictions for such a toy. We've never purchased electronic games for our kids until Christmas of 2009, when Bobby got them a Wii. They have had a lot of fun with their Wii but WE don't play the Wii unless it's dark, or raining, or work is complete, or snowing, or vacation...or we have company and want to entertain. This past Christmas we bought our youngest daughter, Faith, a Leapster specifically for something to do while sitting hours upon end in a car every weekend. In this case I think an electronic game is justified. So...how did Hope win the Game Cube? She was nice.

I still don't know all that was involved but I was beginning to think that if someone accused Pastor Joe (our childrens' pastor) of having a favorite, I would agree with them. He's always been partial to Hope, and rightly so, in my very biased opinion. When she was only a toddler, she spent the night with Joe & his wife, Kelli, who told us the next day that Joe kept waking every couple of hours to tiptoe out to their living room to peek at Hope who was sleeping on the couch and making sure she was ok. When Pastor Joe learned that Hope was going to be baptized, he told me that he wanted to do the dunking. And then the sweetest part of the story is when, last year at Kid's Camp, Hope received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Pastor Joe was the one laying hands on her and he began to cry.

But what happened at Kid's Camp wasn't about having a favorite. I just learned this past Wednesday that the camp staff voted for the child they thought should win the game. Hope got 4 votes, which I guess, was the most. Why did she get the votes? I think it was because she reached out to other campers and was kind to everyone...not just her closest friends. Am I proud of her? Absolutely! But do you know what? God puts that kind of thoughtfulness and kindness in people. None of us are that way naturally, unless, of course, you're a Disney princess. I see Hope at home with older brother, Landis, and younger sis, Faith. I see Hope every day and I know her ugly side (just as she knows mine). I just want to take a second to praise Jesus for what He does in our lives to make us more like Him. On our own, even our very best is not good enough. It's only His goodness in us that makes us anything at all.