I Am A Rich Man

Even though my bank account has been slowly depleted over the past 9 months, I have become wealthier than ever before.  It hit me when Christy and I returned home from a less than energizing meeting at the office.  Little did we know that when we were about to enter the gate to our humble abode we were actually about to be welcomed to the ‘Flamingo Resort’.  After letting them know how frustrating it was to have been knocking at the gate for several minutes before they let us in I realized that the kids had been trying to finish up the last few details for Christy and I to enjoy an evening at a 5 star resort.  We were greeted by the receptionist (Micah) in a suit and tie, followed by a tour of the facilities, high-end restaurant, spa and beautiful bedroom suite.  We enjoyed a lovely appetizer and then headed off to the spa for very relaxing massage from the head masseuse (Tenesae).  We were greeted at our dinner table by a very charming server (Kai) who was very eager to tell us about the menu, and less than eager to share the spotlight with his adorable assistant (Zariah) who’s charm was certainly worthy of a great tip.  The resort manager (Ayrian) quietly watched the five star service unfold and grinned with a great deal of joy.  The experience was nothing short of fabulous, and despite the resort staff enlightening me to how rich I am they did not charge me a dime. 

One thing is for certain, these past nine months we have gained a great deal of relational assets as a family.  We certainly have had times where we felt we were about to kill each other, but all in all our experience here has brought us closer than ever.  With basically no community outside our family that has forced us draw close.  With no one else to share inside humor or understand the isolation we have felt it has been the perfect environment for our family to pull together.  We have had so many experiences that are new to all of us, and we have been able to share in the frustrations as well as the joys of our time here.  We have been able to witness God at work and learn to be patient and keep each other accountable.      

I had a close friend who was blessed to have a similar experience with his family years ago tell me that this would be a hard year, but would be great for our family, and that has certainly been the case.  People often say how expensive it is to raise a family, and I am not going to argue that there is not a cost, but the return for your dollar makes it the best investment ever.  As I am writing this I am watching my five kids enjoy a cookie, hit, spit, and stick out their tongues at each other, but I know that they would do anything for each other.  Not a day goes by without some major conflict or scratch marks or hurt feelings, but we are walking this journey together and it is such a blessing. 

Take a moment to read Psalm 127 … Amen brother Solomon!!