Rough Landings

I have mentioned in brief that my oldest boy Sawyer went to Bolivia a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I have 3/4ths of a blog post written on the subject but I was much too emotionally unstable to complete it. Had it made it past my draft folder you would have read my quoting Chronicles of Narnia when Susan asks Beaver if Aslan is safe. He answers, “Of course he isn’t safe. He’s a lion. But he’s good.” Later is the line even more profound than that, “People who have not been in Narnia sometimes think that a thing cannot be good and terrible at the same time.”

And then I blabbered on about how handing over to God the thing most precious to you doesn’t feel safe at all but we can entrust Him with our outcomes because His motivation toward us is pure and undefiled unlike the counterfeit lions in our lives who would see us run from God’s best rather than pursue it no matter the potential detriment to life and limb. Sending Sawyer on this trip was good and terrible at the same time. I’ve never grasped the enormity of that paradox until now.

The past two weeks have been the longest in my life but praise God from whom all blessings flow, after a cancelled flight Saturday and finally able to depart on Sunday, my boy returned home shortly after midnight Monday morning. He has a thousand stories to tell and I look forward to hearing every one of them once he has a chance to rest and reacclimate to life in the good ‘ole USA.

He’s not been the only one out of town. Elijah, Sam, and Matthew (friend from church) went to RA Camp at Shocco Springs last week. They were supposed to check in on Monday and since I was out of town in North Carolina teaching a retreat (more on that soon!) I struck a deal with Tammy (Matthew’s mom) that I would pick the boys up if she could take them.

Now, I should prefact what I am about to tell you by saying that our girls had been to World Song GA Camp and their camp was from Monday until Friday. Logically, the boys’ camp should run the same, right? I made all my weekly plans to allow for picking the boys up on Friday. That would have worked out great if the boys camp wasn’t over on Thursday. Do y’all see where this is headed?

I’m in Wal-Mart checking out when I get a frantic call from Luke who informed me the boys are waiting on their ride. 2 hours away. On Thursday, the day before I planned on picking them up. (Thank you Twitter friends who comforted me by asking the obvious question of Who Ends a Camp on Thursday?) I was so distraught I dropped my coupon notebook onto the floor spilling out about 4539 slips of PAPER GOLD and let me tell you it is not easy trying to hold your cell phone with your shouder, pick up scattered newspaper clippings and write a check to the bewildered cashier all at the same time. At present I was there buying a few necessities for a 50+ member missions team our church was hosting so you know, I wasn’t busy or anything. Praise the Lord for wonderfully understanding friends like Clay (Matthew’s Dad) who was already on his way to get them by the time I got the news. By the time I made it to the parking lot the Camp director called and was so gracious to tell me not to worry and that he would take the boys to the post-camp counselor party while they waited on someone to get them. It was during this party that Elijah informed me that Sam announced that his mother was a little nuts sometimes and often had blonde moments.

And we picked him up why exactly?

I don’t know that I’ve ever been more mortified. I cried a lot, apologized a lot, mostly on the phone with Sam before I knew of his traitorous slander. But now, well, I suppose it is a little funny. An epic mom fail if there ever was one. Cindy Day and/or Becky Teems, if you are reading this, I reclaim my presidency over the Loser Mom Club.

So re-entry has been a little rough on all of us. At this point I’m just happy there are 6 McKay’s under one blessed roof. Any day that none are stuck in Bolivia or left at camp is a good day and if I’ve ever taken that for granted before I hereby repent.

Where have your summer travels taken you and yours?