The following was written in December, but after a fast five days with most of our family, it seemed appropriate to share! How do you make decisions that involve money? It doesn’t matter how much you have, the decisions are always the same (unless you want to go bankrupt!) and choices must be made
Once again I must say, it was certainly worth it! Even though the car and truck need to be replaced and our wardrobes are a little shoddy, I wouldnt have changed a thing! Oh, how blessed to have family. Be sure to make time for them! Making time for them will only make eternity sweeter! And perhaps that special time away will be the thing that God uses to touch a wayward heart!
December, 2023
Another flight. Another wonderful visit. Another goodbye. The Lord blessed us in every way imaginable on this trip to see our son’s family in South Dakota, starting with a great price for the flight out of State College and great connections. (I’m writing this on the first hop home and hoping I don’t need to amend that statement!) The weather has been absolutely beautiful (well, a little cold and windy on Saturday) and no sickness. Our visit with our newest grandchild, Lydia Elizabeth, will hopefully keep my love-bucket full until next year. Seeing Christmas lights, eating Kruger’s ice cream, playing games with the children, watching George C. Scott in “A Christmas Carol,” wonderful talks with our son, Tom and his sweet wife Cheyanne, a wonderful walk around a BIG block, worshiping on Sunday, sharing meals, and playing a rousing game of “Blind-man’s Bluff” with the older kiddos to top off the visit which kept minds off the pending departure—all go into the memory books of magical moments.
Sigh. Yes, I’m thankful for phone calls and FaceTime and pictures on messenger, but there’s nothing like the sweet smell of a baby’s skin or the feel of those little arms around your neck. Just having a few moments to watch as the children play, listen to their little conversations, and be a part of their lives for only a little over forty hours makes all the planning, scrimping, and wondering worthwhile.
We debated whether to go. It would mean time off from work and spending money on a flight. Should we do it? How do you make those decisions? Well, for me the decision was all about life—a little life only two months old. Could I wait to see her in another seven months? Yes, but if it is just inconvenience and finances that would keep me from seeing that little bundle of joy as well as her family, there is no decision to make. And again, I thank God for His abundant blessings!
“But think of all you could buy with that money you spent on the flight!”
Hmm. A new bedspread? A new couch? A new vacuum? Clothes? A kitchen appliance? $$$
For me, memories made with family are priceless!
A line from Jacob Marley’s ghost sums it all up: “Mankind was my business,” and yet he spent all his time earning another coin.
Life is full of decisions. How you make them is up to you, but when it is all said and done, the question will be: “Was it worth it?”
Behold, children [are] a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb [is] a reward. – Psa 127:3 NKJV
Beyond Common Sense 