Stop for the One

Do you ever get that adrenaline rush when you are holding something above your head, whether that be a sparkler, or roman candle? Whatever it is, I think we as humans need to have that once in a while. The excitement of holding something dangerous, but knowing that we also have the ability of controlling what we are holding. Last night, we had three of our closest family friends over for burgers and a bonfire. It was a bit late celebration of the fourth of July for a close family friend who had recently had their husband/father pass away. The constant push I had in the back of my head last night was, "Stop for the One," meaning find the one who is by themselves or may not be recognized to be having fun in the group, to love the least of these is my greatest offering. I remember something my family friend who passed away once said to my dad, "I am so proud of Milly. Who she is becoming and who I see her hanging out with at school." These were the wise words from my intermediate art teacher. I think of this teacher often when I am rolling down the trampoline with his daughter or grabbing a piece of notebook paper for his son to write down the names of who is playing in the ping pong tournament in our garage. One other situation last night happened while I was in bed and his son kept playing our piano in our living room to the Charlie Brown theme song. I stepped out of my bedroom to refill my glass of water and cheered him on to keep playing. I'm so excited to see where God leads this young man who, as he will tell you, "I'm the artist!" Who is the one you will stop for to cheer on or to simply roll down a trampoline with to let them know that you are with them, for them and want to spur them on to righteousness? It could be dangerous. You are holding onto something precious. Offer yourself as a bridge and a healing balm.  "That's the thing about pain," Augustus said, "It demands to be felt." (The Fault in Our Stars). We heal our pain with the joy of the Lord as our strength, with the rush of getting food after we pray and all the kids trying to get through the door at once and then maybe we will end the night by letting the artist play the theme of Charlie Brown on our living room piano while also rolling down the trampoline and trying to crack the egg before the night ends.