Daddy'll fix it

My husband is a farmer and fall is his busiest time of year. He just finished up with sugar beet harvest. For those of you unfamiliar with how that works, they harvest 24/7 literally. Danny worked from midnight until 5:30-6 pm. Then he'd come home, eat supper, shower and pretty much head straight to bed since he'd be back up at 11 pm. Sugar beet harvest is over now but they are still very busy with corn harvest, which means late nights. This all has left little or no time for him to see me or the kids.

While I dislike it, I do understand it but try explaining to an almost 3 year old why Daddy is too tired when he asks to "play wrestle". Not easy.

Cooper is in a "destructive" phase, which isn't easy for a mom who likes things nice and organized. Or for poor Cole, who is in a "building" phase. He loves to build towers with his blocks and will just get one started and the "big bad wolf" will come along and knock it down.

Just recently Cooper has started pulling the baseboard trim off the walls in the playroom. He pulled a piece off one day and I yelled at him for it. He told me, "Daddy'll fix it". And Daddy did one night quick before he went to bed. While playing with window clings, Cooper ripped one and when I told him it was broken, he replied "Daddy'll fix it". Of course, that one Daddy couldn't fix but Cooper kept believing he could. Things kept breaking/ripping and the response was always the same - "Daddy'll fix it."

One afternoon Cooper pulled off two pieces of the trim. I'd had enough of this "destructive phase" and got mad. And I explained to him Daddy was going to be mad at him too. He almost smiled and said, "Daddy'll fix it." It was then that I finally realized what was really going on. This wasn't part of his phase. This was a little boy missing his Daddy and trying to find a way to spend time with him. He knew Daddy could & would fix the trim and he hoped that meant Daddy would let him help and spend time with him. It broke my heart. As soon as I told Danny about Cooper pulling off more trim & Cooper's response, he realized it too. Danny made it home right before the boys went to bed that night so Cooper and Daddy were able to "play wrestle" for a little while. And then promised Cooper that very soon the two of them would fix the trim together.

If only we could all have such a simple yet solid faith like Cooper's, always believing that "Daddy'll fix it" no matter what. To know that we can always bring our hurts, pains & troubles, no matter how big or how small, to our Abba Father and "Daddy'll fix them". Unlike earthly fathers who are sometimes too busy to spend time with us or be there to "fix" our problems, God is never too busy.

Before I became a mother, I knew it would be my job to teach my children. But I never realized just how much I would learn from them. Or how God would use someone some small in such magnificent ways.

"Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22