Fixed Up

The Fixer Uppers have been Fixed up… and more.

I have recently returned from a mother/son long weekend in Waco, Texas.  He is a huge basketball fan, Baylor’s team is ranked #1, and I went to school there.  It just made perfect sense.

Now, he is a teenager.  Which means I have taken my life into my own hands by offering said min-vacation to him.  Much to my surprise, I was met with a “sure, yeah, mom… sounds great.”

A couple of clicks and bucks later, and we had it on the books!

If you have a teenager, I HIGHLY recommend a trip like this.  Out of their comfort zone and into a little more of a present zone.  I have two boys; and, this idea arose because I took his younger brother on a one-on-one vacation two years ago.  Again, I highly recommend.

Even a relationship which is not broken can be “fixed up.”  A refresher.  New coat of paint so to speak.  And, before you know it, you catch a smile.   When your kid becomes a teen, those smiles can be hidden from plain sight.  Just a simple change in the layout can cause it to emerge.

Our little jaunt to Waco took me wayyyyyy down memory lane.  He was a great sport to indulge me in such adventures.  So much was the same, yet SO much had changed.

Insert Chip and Joanna (need I say a last name?).  The town of Waco has emerged out from under the shadow of David Koresh and his compound.  What a f)@&!*$ up, crazy man.  Thank the Lord for these two and their calling to ignite and re-invigorate this little town.  Waco surrounds the bubble of Baylor University; and there seems to be a newly formed engagement of sorts between the two.  A far cry from the 90’s, I can tell you.

On game day, I managed to somehow convince my teen to trek to the famous Silos.  We walked the two blocks, but the Silos can be seen from miles away.  Nothin’ screams “I rock at renovating” more than two giant silos surrounded by a retail experience, beautifully manicured lawns and a bakery.  No big deal, I just suffer from Magnolia envy.  😊.  Thou shall not covet… thou shall not covet… thou shall not covet…

Wander through the market, carry a leather-handled burlap tote (otherwise known as a shopping bag) and get in touch with Jesus.  Yup, He really is everywhere.

Hats off to “Jo” for making Jesus hip in home décor.   Wall hangings of scripture can capture even the most skeptical of mustard-seed believers.

The Baptist foundation on which Baylor was built must be in its glory.  Just across the highway stands a beacon of Him.  A calling for this couple, and a fulfillment of His plan for them.

So, the teen followed me patiently around the market.  Knowing I was on borrowed time, as if he were a toddler, I initiated a “supermarket sweep” and filled my tote in record time.  God love that boy, as he held a place in line for his mother.  This moment was a quiet gift to me.  I guarantee that he had no idea how he had wrapped up a memory for me that would not have been the same without him.

A million “enough pictures, mom” later, we were out from under that grace of the Silos and on to the basketball game.

His element, his tote full, and me holding his place in line.

I loved my time at Baylor.  But, never before had I been this in love with it.  Being just a young college kid, lends itself to oblivion.  This was an entirely different experience.

Y’all.  Baylor PRAYS before the game.  A quiet fieldhouse with thousands of heads bowed in respect for the giver of the prayer.  In a time when outward prayer can spark controversy, THIS warmed my heart and gave me a little hope for the world.

Even after the game, all were invited for worship.  Yup, you read that right.  A post-game prayer circle right in the middle of the court filled with players and coaches evolved into praise music and testimony.  Three Baylor players sat there, in front of a crowd who elected to stay, and gave testimony in their walk with Jesus.  Even the teen was tuned in to their stories of basketball and glory to God.

So, take this away:

*Travel with your kid, one on one.

*“Fix up” the unbroken.  And watch the result shine brighter than before.

*Follow your passion like Chip and Joanna and watch His will unfold.

AND
*Sic ‘em Bears.

 

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