Tomorrow

Phillip will get his mission call either tomorrow or Thursday. Wow! I remember when the nurse put him in my arms the day he was born. My first son. The first thing I thought about was how I could possibly prepare him to serve the Lord one day. How are you supposed to do that anyway???

He was born in December. There was something really special about rocking a new baby boy under the Christmas tree, and thinking about His Elder brother whose birthday we were celebrating. Phillip grew to love trucks and dinosaurs. He loved cracking jokes and making people laugh. But he had a really quiet and serious side, too. His still waters truly did run deep.

When he was in 1st grade he wrote a paper in Miss Kunz class about how he wanted to one day grow up to be a Dad and a Bishop. I'll never forget the time when he was about 10 and he came to me and said, "Mom, I know why Jesus walks on the water. It's because Satan rules the water - so Jesus just walks right over the top of him."

Slowly, while raising him, Randy and I came to realize that it wasn't so much about preparing him to be a missionary ourselves, it was more about allowing the Spirit in our home, so that He could encourage Phillip to prepare himself. (Long sentence - sorry!)

When I look at him now, I can see all his versions. I see the new baby with chicken legs and "Spock" ears. I see the roly- poly chubby 6-month old - the toddler in red overalls - the new Kindergartner - the 5th grader. I see him in Junior High and High School - performing in the plays he loves and making friends. What's strange is that I can see some future versions of him too. The missionary, with a super short hair cut - (He said to me last week, "I don't care where the Lord sends me, Mom, I get to preach the same gospel wherever I go!) the giddy young man with a beautiful fiance on his arm - the newlywed - the father.

One day - a nurse will place a baby boy in his arms and a new cycle of faith and joy will continue. I can hardly wait!