Leaving fingerprints behind

As I was cleaning house a few weeks back, I noticed that all the doorknobs were sticky. Brandon said, "that's how you can tell the grandkids have been here. sticky doorknobs." We'd had 30-something family and friends over for Easter. 16 of them were the kids, and between the dessert table and Easter candy, there were some little fingerprints that stayed behind. A few squirts of odo-ban and a sponge took care of the doorknobs. A small price to pay for the joy that they gave all of us that matchless Saturday afternoon. I remember looking around a few times at all the happy faces, and my heart was so full of thankfulness. It made me reflect back on all the years of hard work raising that bunch, knowing that I was woefully inadequate for the job. Yet here they all were, grown up and with kids of their own, hanging out and watching the babies run around like little crazy people in our little green meadow. Everyone was laughing and talking, children bouncing from one set of loving arms to another between mad dashes around the yard. This was John's first time to meet the family, and he got the sister's seal of approval. He was designated pitcher to a lineup of small fry who were heroically smacking an old soccer ball with Chassidy's t-ball bat from second grade. And as I watched my bunch, I reflected on how faithful God has been to all of us. Jamie, Aubrey, Cindy, and Shannon grew up to be great moms. Kelly is the new daughter of the heart, Roxanna a sister of the heart and in Christ, Brandon the favorite uncle, and Chas the "cool aunt", our precious Katie, along with a load of other friends. I remember being almost overwhelmed thinking that many people loved me enough to put up with me all these years. And I hope that they will always see my home as a peaceful refuge from the fast pace, where they have a place on the porch with a glass of sweet tea, with nothing more pressing than watching squirrels run up the ancient oaks. I hope it will always be a place where they are fed too much, loved, accepted, and celebrated.

And I hope that I leave behind a lot of fingerprints pointing to Christ.