Little Lies…Big Trouble

Many years ago I took a few classes on writing for children.  It has always been a dream of mine to write a book and this was a way to practice the art.  Going through old files I found a few of the short stories and thought I'd share one with my readers.  If you have kiddos, maybe it'll give you a new story to read to them.  Stories like these remind me of the Highlight magazine I used to read as a kid.

Little Lies…Big Trouble

“But I don’t want to live in this dumpy old trailer!” 

The walls were so thin, I could almost hear the tin rattle with my scream. 

“Jeremiah, I know this place isn’t great to look at but I’ll fix it up.  I can’t pass up the chance to live somewhere free, work is hard to find,” Dad said, exhausted from the arguments we’d been having about our new move.

“What do I tell kids at school?”

I didn’t hang around for an answer but huffed down the tiny hallway, my elbows banging against the dingy walls, to grab my backpack.  It was my first day at a new school, which is never easy, but when you move around as much as me you get better at it.  Dad lost his job again and he’s decided that moving in next door to an old lady, Betty, is the answer. 

We live in ugly, rundown trailer for free and he gets paid to work at her house and farm.  I guess the good thing is that the trailer sets far enough off the road that nobody can see it from the bus stop; besides, the walk lets me think up my new identity.

The roar of the bus alerts me, as it comes down the gravel road, and slows in front of Miss Betty’s house. I notice it’s already full.  So much for finding a seat early and trying to blend in! It’ll be obvious I’m the new kid now.  I scan the rows for an empty seat up front, but no luck.  The only empty seat is at the back, and of course, it is surrounded by boys my age, at least they look about 11. 

I can hear the whispers and feel their stares on the back of my neck.  I wait.

“Hey kid, are you new?”
            “Where’d you move here from?”
“Did you all buy Miss Betty’s house?”

Looking down at my ratty sneakers and last year’s jeans, I know the story of buying that house would never fly.  I had to come up with something – and fast.

“Uh, no.  I’m just staying with Betty for awhile.  I ran away from home and she found me in her barn.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Said I had to go to school or she’d call the cops.  Name’s Jeremiah.”

All their mouths dropped and the boys huddled in, ready for more.  They hit me with a dozen questions like why and how and when.  I didn’t want to give away too much at one time.  After all, a run-away needed to have his secrets, be mysterious.

“Listen, my dad is an undercover cop.  I didn’t really run away. I just had to get away from the trouble.  Dad will come get me soon as things cool down.  Can I trust you all with this?” 

I locked eyes with each of them, hoping they’d buy it.  I explained that we were running from a bad gang my dad was trying to bust.  If they wanted to help in this secret operation, they needed to keep it quiet.

“Well, who do we say you are?” one of the boys asked.

“Just say I’m Jeremiah and that Betty is my grandma,” I explained as we pulled into my new school.

I hopped off the bus. I could feel a line following me.  The good news was they believed my tall tale; the bad news was it was a bigger lie than I had planned.  I made my way into the office to find out what class I needed to be in, hoping my new fans would disappear.

As I exited into the main hall, most of the boys from the bus were gathered, waiting.  Maybe I’d get lucky and I wouldn’t have class with any of them so the questions wouldn’t continue.

“Who has Mrs. Tichenor for a teacher?” I asked, hoping.

Only one kid raised his hand and the great thing was he was kind of shy.  Maybe I could escape this lie; or better yet, they’d all forget about it by the end of the day. 

It was so busy that I actually didn’t have a chance to talk much to other kids, this was good because I felt like my little lies were growing bigger on their own.  I worried about the bus ride home and the questions I knew I’d get.  I tried to make it to the bus early so I could pick my own seat, but I was one of the last on and again had to make my way to the back.  The boys didn’t waste any time.

“So what kind of bad guys was your dad chasing?”
      “Was there a gun fight?”
“Did you go on the bust with your dad?”

I tried not to go into too much detail, using the excuse that it was all top secret police stuff and telling them would put them in danger.  As we neared my stop, one of the boys, I think his name was Gavin, bounced next to me in the seat.

“Hey, I live pretty close to you.  Maybe I could get off the bus with you and we could play ball or something?” he asked.

I gulped. “Uh, no.  I don’t think Miss Betty would like it if I just brought company home without asking.”  I slid out from around him and headed for the door, eager to get home and over this crazy day. 

“Hey kid, how was your day?” Dad asked soon as I walked through the door. 

I shrugged it off, “Ok. I’m pretty tired and I have lots of homework.”

That would keep him out of my way for the day.  Maybe I could figure a way out of this lie before it hurt my Dad.  I wish I had told the truth.  Now I was in too deep.

During the next several weeks I avoided questions about my hero-cop dad.  I used to love making up stories because they were more fun than real life. But this lie was too big – too heavy to carry. 

When I had a day off from school, I looked forward to exploring more of Miss Betty’s house.  As shabby as our trailer was, Betty was a great lady who made terrific cookies and let me look through her old things.  As I stepped onto her porch, she met me at the door.

“Jeremiah, one of your friends called for you this morning.  Good thing I wake up with the rooster’s crow or I’d not been too happy answering” She held her arm out from the screen door so I could duck under and go inside.  “Don’t really remember who it was, but he said he’d come by sometime today.”

I froze in my tracks.  I’d tried to avoid having kids come home with me, using every excuse my mind could invent.  If they showed up, they’d want to see my room, which was not in Betty’s house. Worse yet, they might run into my dad and start asking questions.

“Uh, thanks Miss Betty.  Sorry about that.  Listen, I forgot something back at the house so I gotta go,” I yelled on my way out the door.  As I made a turn for the dirt path that led to my trailer, I heard voices at the side of the house.  It was my worst fear.

“Hey, are you Jeremiah’s dad?” Gavin said to Dad, trying to keep up with my dad as he worked on the yard.  “Jeremiah didn’t say you came back home.  You sure don’t look like a cop. Are you still undercover?  It’s ok, you’re secret is safe with…”

By this time Dad’s eyes locked with mine, and I could see the pain that my lies had caused.  He didn’t say anything to Gavin, just made an excuse to go to the shed.  I didn’t even care about being in the trouble I knew was coming.  It was punishment enough to see how much I’d disappointed him.

Winter Woes

Well, it is only a few days into the new year and I've already failed miserably on my "one word" of being selfless.  Not to excuse it but we've been hit with some winter weather and this 40-something body is feeling it.

It is SNOW fun to get older.

My body is like a weather radar, beeping in protest before the first snowflake.  I've joked with my husband he needs to suddenly inherit a beach house and the income to "winter" in Florida.  I'm only a fan of cold weather when I'm able to recline by the warm fire and color, sipping hot cocoa, safe and snug.

The past few evenings, I've come home so tired and sore from being out in the cold I haven't been able to serve anyone.  In fact, my first day back to work, I barely made it through the process of peeling layers, donning PJ's and collapsing into my chair.

When Tim awoke to get ready for his night shift, instead of finding me cooking, he caught me snoozing by the fire.  Being the sweetheart he is, he went to the kitchen and whipped up a simple supper.  As he served me, I felt pretty guilty and a failure in my quest to be less selfish.

On Fridays, I often have the day off but with the holidays I needed to go in for a few hours.  Not having to work a full shift though allowed me to sleep in.  My phone forgot however and woke me normal time.  Now, a selfless gal would've taken that opportunity to get up and surprise her hubby with a hot breakfast.  Instead I remained in the comforts of my flannel sheets and awoke later to our excited dog, a sure sign Dad was home.

As I creaked out of bed, I found him making coffee and sweeping off the steps so I wouldn't slip on my way out.  He'd even brought home new gloves, overhearing that I'd lost my others.

Perhaps this short reprieve from my resolution is to show me what it feels like to be served, so I'll be better equipped and eager to help others.  Maybe I can chalk it up as early birthday goodness, as I will be celebrating another year on Sunday.  Or, by chance, it is a lesson in humility that we can't improve ourselves overnight.  And that, just maybe, I need to stop relying so much on my self and more on God to get there.

Trudging on....some days, uphill in the snow.

Lessons from the Road

Ok, big oops for the few that read this UNfinished post a few days ago.  
Not sure what happened there....but now it is complete.  Yikes!  


My newly licensed teenage son called me the other night as he was leaving the house.

"I think I may need to replace a tire or something." he says, calmly.

A dozen frantic mom-thoughts ran through my head but I managed to get an equally calm-ish response back to him.  In our brief conversation, I realized he probably had a flat tire.  He turned back into the house to wake his sleeping dad up for a check.

Sure enough, there was a nail inside.

Dad took the opportunity to instill some life lessons in the checking and patching of said tire.  While it may seem obvious to someone who has driven awhile, for a newbie on the road everything is a first.  In Noah's case, he has "low profile" tires - whatever that means - so it wasn't as easy to tell.

Regardless, I'm so thankful for God's protection, and that he took the time to call mom when something didn't seem quite right.  He was going to a night Lifegroup meeting on a curvy road he's never driven, in what was later a nasty thunderstorm.

As he headed back out, a little behind schedule but safe, I thought about how often we barrel down life's highway without checking first.  Or rather praying.  Instead, we just hit the road, oblivious to the dangers that may be lurking.  Taking the time to check - a prayer pit stop - can make all the difference when you're hit with a surprise around the next corner.


This past weekend, Tim and I snuck off for a mini hotel getaway and concert from tickets he'd won on a radio contest.  It was a venue I'd been to before but still needed guidance from the GPS to get me across metro-streets I'm not used to.  I knew the general direction and could basically follow the signs but felt more secure having the back-up.

Though the GPS was guiding me, Tim was in assistance mode from the passenger seat.  He knows I can sometimes get antsy if directions aren't quick enough for the twist and turns ahead.  At one point, I rejected both their suggestions and went with my gut.  My husband let out a sigh and dramatically motioned to the phone, which was also objecting to my lack of turning.

"You're going the wrong way," said Tim.

"Please make a U-turn," states Google.

And I just as dramatically motion for Tim to look up and out.  We were at our destination!

I'm not sure where either were taking me but I had the advantage of seeing where I was going and not just depending on someone else to get me there.  Sometimes, no amount of counsel can get us where we need to be if we're not focused on the road ahead.  I chuckled, remembering our Bible study discussion that same morning.

Prayer is important.  But we sometimes use it as an excuse.

"Well, let me pray on that...."

Goodness knows I'm guilty.  Often I know what I should do, what direction God is nudging me, but I lean on the brakes in hesitation.

When we know where we should go and where God wants us, we just gotta get in, buckle up and drive!  Trusting that, with God as your co-pilot, He'll never steer you wrong.

Age of Innocence

My 16 year old fell asleep last night in my bed.

I lost count of how many times I awoke, not because his giant frame took up most of the space, but to soak up the moment, to pray for him, and to stare at his changing face while he dreamt. 

I'm grateful my son still enjoys cuddling with mom and dad. Every hug he ever gives is savored but I'm most thankful for the conversations we have. Oh, the giggles we share late at night.

Sometimes those talks break my heart though, when I realize all he is hit with daily.

Which led me to my prayers. Last night, I had the privelege to literally put hands on and pray over him as he slept.  I don't know that I ever prayed as much as a momma as I have these teenage years. You think as a new mom, or mother of a toddler you worry, but it just increases as they age.  We just want the very best for our babies, no matter how old they are.

As a child loss mom, I know I pray for safety and protection, maybe more than the average parent. Because I know the unimaginable. Maybe I over-pray...if such a thing exists. In reflection, it's probably a sign of my worry and not giving it to God as I should. I say I trust in the plans He has for his future...but then I want to put conditions on what it holds.

As I found myself staring at his face in the moonlight, a mix of sweet innocence and manhood, I wished that I could reach out and push pause.  While he's barreling down the highway of life, eager to reach the next milestone, I'm pressing the invisible breaks of his childhood.

Days when I catch him watching cartoons or wrestling on the floor with dad, I'm thankful for the innocence of the moment. But then I sigh knowing his childhood is slipping away. And I'm not naive, as I know he's exposed to way more to any 16 year old should be, but that's the world in which we live. As such, I want to bubble wrap and trap him in the safety of our house. Yet I also know living life is what he needs to grow, no matter how difficult it may be for him.  Or me.

There are so many more temptations and stressors he faces as a teen compared to my generation. I can't help but worry about the decisions he'll make. Part of me hopes what we've instilled in him sticks, but the other knows mistakes and bad choices are a part of growing up.

And I've got to show the same love in the messes that I do in the blessings. While we have high expectations for him, he also needs to know we'll always be his safe place to fall.  

Because isn't that the same God offers us?

My teens and twenties were littered with mistakes and bad choices, but those lessons are what shaped and made the woman I am today. Sometimes those decisions are what led me closest to God.

Being a parent is the most precious, rewarding and difficult job to ever have.  You're responsible for the outcome of a future adult but there's also a season where you have to let go and let God. I know that's coming for us soon. And maybe that's what He wanted me to hear today.

Maybe someone out there reading needs to hear it too.

No matter which side of messy you're on, God is always there ready to go elbow deep to meet you in grace and love.

Day 26: Solo Eagle

This momma bird is teetering on emotions today.

Her baby just took one big leap out of the nest.  After six months of being his co-pilot, he is now a licensed driver, able to be in the car solo.

Normally my guy is cool and collected, but this afternoon, moments before the test, I could sense his nerves had him shaky.  I tried to joke around to distract him, he turned up the radio to tune his goofy mom out, and I doused him in oils to settle and calm.  In the end, I turned to what we should've from the start.  We prayed.

Huddled together in his car, awaiting the instructor, we prayed for peace (for both of us), for calm and focus to do well in his test, and for safety on the road.  It wasn't the first prayer I've said for him concerning being on the road and now it most certainly won't be the last.  In fact, maybe God was thinking of moms of teenagers when he said, "pray without ceasing."

As he ran in the house later to show his dad and drop me off, I even put my hands on his car in prayer, envisioning God protecting it and him in angel bubble wrap.  He's a smart kid but there's crazy people on the road and this momma just needs to know he'll be safe.

Not surprisingly, his big brother sent lots of signs today.  More butterflies than I could count on my route this morning and on the way to pick him up.  A huge yellow one sitting on the window box as I opened the door to get him for the test.  We counted the stops on his exam route and there was, as you may have guessed, 23.  And as he proudly handed me the test showing he passed, his full release date is 1/23 of next year.  I have no doubt big brother will always be watching over him from above.

So many moments of joy, seeing him fulfill a huge milestone, the excitement and pride on his face as he pulled in to pick mom up at the courthouse, and watching him drive away on his own for the first time.  But perhaps the biggest - or at least the most emotional - was him calling his dad to share the news.

Tim works nights so he was deep into sleep on Noah's test.  We were in Noah's car for the test so I had him drive by my office to get something out of my trunk, a surprise "driver's survival toolbox" for him.  I noticed he was on the phone but it didn't register what he might be doing.  When he returned with damp eyes, my mom alarm went on alert.  Instead, he sweetly shared that he had to stop and call his dad, because he taught him so much about driving and Noah wanted him to be the first to know.

Not one to show his emotions, it was a touching moment that again revealed what a big, sweet heart he has.  It was special that he thought enough to stop and wake his dad, just to share the good news before anyone else heard.

We're so blessed to be his parents.

Drive safe, big eagle. 

And remember these life lessons along the way...

Ride Time

I'm normally the driver in our house.  Partially because I'm more comfortable if we're traveling long distances (or my hubby just really loves to nap) and also because I like to be in control.

Having a teen driver has changed all that.

Now that we have a permit holder, who needs to log hours and is practicing for his license, my new position has been moved into the passenger seat.  And sometimes the backseat.

Being a "backseat driver" is something that comes naturally for me (see the control issues above).  I'll stomp an imaginary brake and hold onto the window if someone driving isn't doing it to suit my fancy.  And will usually make a comment too, especially if it is a family member driving.  As such, I was a little worried at how I would react to Noah at wheel.

I think I've surprised us both.

Maybe it is because he very calm and level-headed at the wheel but I feel comfortable with him.  In the beginning, I was grabbing my side window a bit, until he told me that made him nervous.  I've learned to control my own reflexes and tone of voice, to keep him steady when redirection is needed.

It's been a learning process for both of us but the ride time has been wonderful bonding time.  He is no longer nose deep in a cell phone and I'm on alert to help him watch the crazies on the road.  We've had some great conversations and opportunities for life lessons.

The other day a pickup came barreling out of a gas station so fast he was tail-spinning.  Noah watches, shakes his head and sighs.

"These kids today..." he says.

I chuckle inside at his aged wisdom but am so very proud of him.  He comments how he can't understand why people want to drive recklessly,especially his generation.  Or with a cell phone.

"I'm multi-tasking like 15 things just to keep this car on the road," he states while driving.  "I can't imagine trying to look down at a telephone too!"

Although he is ever-ready to jump in the drivers seat, he has also declined driving in areas he's not yet comfortable to do so, like morning school traffic.

Yes, please keep that mindset, my son.  

Working the Weekend

Somewhere, over the past couple months, my 15 year old decided he wants a job for the summer.  Perhaps it was a reminder of boredom from last year or the dreaded chore chart mom created.  Truly, he's just always enjoyed working - or rather making money!

Noah's mowed yards for several years, but summer sweat equity is difficult and undependable.  Not yet driving, he's limited to our neighborhood and the need varies each year.  Plus, mowing is not his passion.

When he set out to putting in applications, I secretly worried about his disappointment, given his age, but I prayed he'd find something.  He never hesitated though.  Honestly, I don't think age has ever been a factor for him.  If we wants something, he goes for it.  And that makes me a very proud mom.

Noah's passion, from the time he could climb up to the kitchen counter, has been cooking.  While I assumed whatever job he found would involve food, I expected it to be of the fast version.  Yet God had other plans a huge blessing in store for him.

He ended up securing a job a local pizza place that's walking distance from our home.  At first, he figured he'd be taking orders, bussing tables, or washing dishes. And he was fine with that - it was work.  What thrilled him was learning he'd be able to help in the kitchen!

On his first night, we'd planned to give him distance, not wanting to embarrass him with overly excited parents lurking in the background.  But a text came in from him begging us to come down, ironically after we'd already eaten.  A true salesman, he gives us the pitch about how good the cookies are, so we try a couple.  And then asks if we'd like some bread sticks, the station he was working at that night.  Although we were full, we couldn't say no.

My little chef is all grown up.  Insert heart tears!

And even though already stuffed, we gobbled down each yummy morsel.  My boy knows his way around some dough!

It's been such a joy to watch him from a distance, as I wait in the car for his shift to end.  I can sneak views of him sweeping the floor, taking out the trash, and chatting with co-workers.  He's loving every minute of it.  

Yesterday, I asked what he liked best about his job and instantly he said, "Just working."  How lucky he is to be in a job that matches his passion at such a young age.  I pray that trend continues throughout his life.

He's been there long enough now to earn his first paycheck, which he proudly presented to me last night in the parking lot.  

"Did you know taxes took part of my check, Mom?  What's up with that!"

...Welcome to the real world, son.  Welcome.