The Stubblefield Family: The Week Before Easter Post: Loving Spring & A Ben and His Bike

The weather has been mild, with warm afternoon sunshine and gusty spring breezes. The kids spent a lot of time outside walking to and playing down by the creek, on our own or with Buddy, and playing with their friend from a few doors down, Nathan. It has been heavenly and more than once I found myself lying on the soft spring grass, soaking up the bright, warm sun. I would listen to my happy kids buzzing and giggling and playing around me or find them (little boy) climbing all over me like a puppy or (girl and the big boy) lying there beside me....heaven indeed.

Also spring brought out the bikes again. Hannah's, after a run in with the car last fall is gimpy and worthless until repaired, but Ben found his confidence and freedom on his little Lightening McQueen bike this week.

Ben has a tender heart that fills him with compassion, forgiveness and a desire to serve, but along with that he consciously fights his tendencies to feel sorrowful at a disappointment or injury, or fearful at new or challenging things.

A couple of weeks ago, on one of the first warm days Ben took his bike to the top of the hill/road beside our house. He had visions of zooming down with great glee, but only got a few feet before he crashed pretty bad. He tried so hard to be strong...especially in front of his friend, Devin, who was zooming down the hill on his bike. I watched his lip quiver and came up to see if he was ok. He burried his head in my belly and started to cry. I scooped him up and took him inside. In hind-sight I see that that may not have been the manliest thing, to be wisked away by your Mama. I am learning and am raising boys better everyday. A new thing for a girl with no brothers. But the Spirit whispers how to help them feel their own strength and prepare to be strong leaders, providers and protectors and I listen and am trying everyday to apply His counsel.

Ben was ok. But it really shook him up. So it took quite a lot of courage for him to get back out on that hill. But this week as he has been focusing on his relationship with the Lord (check out my Easter Miracle post for more details : ) he decided he was going to conquer that hill. Very deliberately he put his bike about 10 feet from the bottom and practiced riding down. He was not trusting his pedals to brake because of the accident and started out using his feet turned under to stop the bike! Dangerous! So I helped drill him on "pedal break, pedal break." And he got that going pretty good. Then he headed up 20 feet, 30 feet etc. Until he yelled out to me "Mom, I'm made it to the top. I'm going all the way down now!" Only then did I realize what he had been doing (there was a dog and two other kiddos to attend to. : ). And we clapped and cheered and away he went! When he got to the bottom we cheered some more and sang "For he's a jolly good fellow!" He felt so proud. Then he turned to me and said, "You know how I did that Mom?" How Buddy? "Jesus filled me with His love and told me I could do it." The rest of this week he was speeding down the hill and around the parking lot with quite a lot of joy and great confidence! I love seeing him grow and love that he is learning to turn to and rely on the Lord. Go Benjamin!!!

Walking Buddy

Playing With Nathan

This is what happened the first time I tried to get pics of the kids together...silly kids!! : )

The boys have spent hours playing with toy animals here...a little hollowed out spot in the hill that I'm pretty sure our kids were responsible for making long ago. : )