Day Twenty-Four

April 24

“Bless the Lord’
Oh, my soul
Bless His holy name!

I walked the dog in two different places today. Once in the morning and then again in the evening.

Everywhere I looked, the pathways were lined with poison ivy. Usually I’m never great at spotting it mid-summer, which explains why I succumb to scratching at rashes - particularly on my hands.

I can literally have someone point it out to me in the woods, and I can’t identify it when summer is in full-swing and everything around is flourishing. The little ditty, “Leaves of three, let it be…” doesn’t seem to work and I’m a gardener no less!

I usually just consider every shiny strange looking thing off the path some kind of evil and try to avoid it if possible.

So why I’m clearly (and correctly!) seeing it now seems strange. I find myself walking and making mental notes of where I should never tread.

And then there’s my son… with a wise and old soul, who tonight - easily identified and pointed out a few poisons of my soul.

Correctly
Kindly
Wisely

Nuances I struggle with… over and over. Quick tempered, irritable, lacking in grace.

I invited his input and he did not fail. He didn’t let me grow older tip-toeing through life - not being able to properly identify the root of my struggles.

Truth in love…

There is a gift and grace buried in the hearts of our children… those with whom we live - side by side. The gift of wisdom from their front row seat into the purest and rawest places of our hearts.

And if we’re willing to have those we love help us grow - the gift of their grace, the gift of their love, the gift of their honesty is invaluable.

It might be the very gift that helps us finally spot the poison ivy.

And maybe - we won’t have to spend the next twenty years unnecessarily scratching.

It is good.
Very good!