Lessons Learned

I wrote this back in April, but for some reason it never got posted.  Here you go...

Well, Springtime is upon us and with warmer weather here, that usually means one thing for Jacob: time for his buzz cut!  Or as his cousins like to call it this year, Fuzz Boy, part 2.  Every summer, we shave off Jacob's hair and he looks forward to it.  He says he likes it short because he gets so sweaty and hot and that less hair keeps him cooler.  I think he just likes it because it means I don't have to do his hair anymore in the mornings. 

I'm sure by now you are wondering why I'm talking about his hair, so I'll get to the point.  I was going to take the boys this week for their summer haircuts, but then I realized that I still have to take pictures of them in their Easter outfits on Sunday.  So, I explained to Jacob that his haircut would have to wait because I didn't want his head shaved for Easter Sunday.  He was OK with it, but I think he was a little bummed.  So, yesterday, he was walking quickly through our living room and he slipped and fell... and hit his head on the coffee table.  He hit it right outside of the corner of his eye.  At first, I didn't know what was hurting, so I just picked him up and tried to comfort him.  Then, my niece said, "Oh my goodness!  His face!"  My first thought was, "Oh, no!  He's going to need stitches."  Then I looked at his face and saw the largest goose egg I have ever seen!  His eye/face proceeded to swell up so badly that the skin in the corner of his eye actually now has a small tear.  Ouch.  I would post a picture for you, but so far, he has not agreed to let me take one.  He says he never wants to remember this.  Ha!  I don't blame him.  His eye is swollen, bruised, and makes me hurt just looking at it.  The swelling has gone down some today and if I can keep convincing him to put ice on it, with any luck, he'll be back to normal in no time.

So... my point in all of this...  after everything calmed down, I looked at Jacob and I said, "You know what, Jacob?  I just realized that there is a lesson in this for ME.  I was so worried that if I cut your hair short, then you wouldn't look as nice on Easter Sunday.  Now, you'll have a black eye and there's nothing I can do about it.  But, what it made me realize was just how silly I was being.  Easter isn't about what your hair looks like or how nice you do or don't look in pictures.  I should be thinking about Jesus and what he did for you and me." 

I know it sounds ridiculous, but sometimes I just find myself wrapped up in the details and not focusing on the big picture.  Forget the pictures, Easter outfits, jelly beans, eggs. etc.  I've said it before and I'll say it again:  What in the world does a bunny have to do with what Christ did for us?  We don't "do" the Easter bunny in our house and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.  That's right - we're weird.  And I'm OK with it.