The Ultimate Prize

Being a parent comes with some fun times. It also comes with some tough times. I suppose that I could have started this post out by saying: It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. So much can be said using those two sentences. It can describe so many things in life. The potential is overwhelming.

Tonight was one of the best of times.

Parents love to give good things to their children. Who, when asked by their children for a loaf of bread, would give them a stone? Not I. My precious Caden can be such a shy little man. I have prayed buckets of prayers for him as he has entered into school. In the last year and a half, it has been a joy to watch as God has worked in Caden's heart and life to help him to break that nasty little barrier in his life. A real joy.

Tonight, I had the wonderful opportunity to watch my son go to his very first sports practice. He had soccer practice tonight. He was beyond thrilled. He has been counting down for the last week. Every day he would wake up and announce how many days he had left until soccer practice. Soccer practice was the great motivator in accomplishing homework in a timely fashion today. Soccer practice was the clincher in attaining good behavior. Soccer practice was the ultimate prize.

But you know, it wasn't the ultimate prize just for Caden, it was the ultimate prize for me, too. To see my son, who had allowed himself to be hampered by his shyness, finally become bold enough to allow himself the pleasure of playing a sport. There is nothing this little man loves more than to play a game. (Well....maybe he loves winning more than he loves playing.) But what a joy to watch my son so giddy with excitement that he could hardly stand still....in fact, he didn't stand still. He was literally jumping up and down as he listened to his coach. I watched him respond excitedly to questions asked. I watch him absolutely loving doing the dribbling skills. I loved seeing him doing his best....and loving every minute of it. In a way, I felt like tonight was the culmination of a truckload of prayers.....the ultimate prize!

How totally cool is that.