Tag Archives: surprises

The most amazing gift . . . the last Reed’s Run

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reed's eagleAs the CEM (Chief Executive Momma) of this family, it is very difficult to surprise me.  Oh, I love surprises. When there are always little ears and eyes, a lot of “oopsies” moments happen.  The other reason for the lack of surprises in my life is the fact that I am a planner.  When looking at details from carpools to holidays and from appointments to events, I am usually the keeper of all that goes on around here.

The ten months of planning that it took to pull off Reed’s Run each year were fraught with lots and lots of lists.  Auction lists, t-shirts, website updates, marketing, parade promotions, registration forms, medals, volunteers . . . the list went on and on.  Exhausting, but in the end so worth it.

On the actual day, I flit about often being pulled in many different directions.  I rarely eat, and I hug lots of people.  I share a few tears, but none have compared to this year’s finale.

Everything was running smoothly (albeit not without a few bumps in the road).  So to those that shielded me, THANK YOU and those that offered grace, THANK YOU even more!  We finally got down to the last parts of the evening, the awards ceremony, the Jesus Painter performance, and the movie.  I was up on the stage announcing the winners of the various medals and was to introduce Mike Lewis for the worship time.

As I concluded the awards, all of a sudden I see Matthew (my high school best friend) coming toward the stage.  I really wish this were videotaped, because I can only imagine what my face actually looked like.  My mind was thinking, “This is weird.  I haven’t seen you in twenty-three years, but I wasn’t expecting a deviation from my plan.”  As he came on stage and took the microphone from me, I am certain I was questioning his judgment and mine.

What happened next, I never saw coming.  But as I saw one of Reed’s former Scout masters in uniform also coming forward, my knees grew weak and the flood gate of tears opened up.  Matt explained how he was so excited to be here and about our friendship.  He then told the tale of how he had made arrangements with Reed’s former troop for this special occasion.  He shared about his summer long ago at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, and how I was his pen pal while he was gone.  They were special memories.

Because of some kind of rule on timelines in the BSA, Reed couldn’t be awarded his own Eagle Scout.   Sobbing in front of everyone, I heard one of the sweetest tales ever told.  My dear friend decided Reed would indeed be earning his Eagle Scout, just not in the normal way. The gift he gave in honor our sweet redheaded boy is truly the embodiment of scouting.

We were handed Reed’s Eagle Scout award, his Eagle neckerchief, and a Philmont Scout Ranch patch.  The Boy Scout Law states all the qualities that define scouts.  A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.  What it doesn’t say is that a Scout gives sacrificially, because in this magical moment, that’s exactly what happened.

The award placed in my trembling hands was Matthew’s own Eagle Scout award, “re-awarded” to Reed.  Engraved on the award is the motto, Be Prepared.  There was no way my heart was prepared for this surprise as it was truly an amazing gift.

3 Things: 10/8/12

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I needed a week long to recover from Reed’s Run.  I have a series of blogs that will be coming in the next few days sharing special memories from that weekend, but I have missed writing about things that I enjoy.  So now that Reed’s Run has come to a close, I am ready to share my weekly list of things that make me smile.

  1. Surprises – I had a big one at Reed’s Run which I will be sharing in a later blog, and I had one this summer.  On our return trip home from Florida our first night’s stop was actually at my grandmother’s house in Alabama.  When we arrived, there was a car in the driveway that I didn’t recognize.  If you grew up in the South, you know to read the license plates because it will tell you not only the state from which the car hails but also the county, designated by words or by a code number.  In this case, the car was from Fulton County, Georgia.  I knew in a heartbeat that could only mean one thing . . . my Uncle Rendell and my Aunt Margaret.  Knowing that my aunt was extremely ill with Stage 4 cancer, their presence was a gift incredible!  To know that I was loved that much to make a couple hour trip brought me to tears.  We had such a lovely visit catching up and seeing how my kids and their grandkids had grown.  It would be our last conversation because my aunt went home to Jesus at the beginning of September.  Even though it was our last visit here, she is just one of the many necks that I cannot wait to hug in heaven. Surprises that become cherished memories DEFINITELY make me smile.
  2. Impromptu Family/Friends Gatherings – The night before Reed’s Run we had an impromptu bonfire and birthday celebration for our September birthdays following the Lakeview football game.  We had a goofy sing-along naming off a bunch of names of ninth month celebrants followed by roasting s’mores in place of serving birthday cake.  The giggles and story-swapping only got better as the fire died down.  Sawyer had a great time meeting his “God-brother” for the first time and helping him to roast a marshmallow.  It wasn’t fancy nor was it gourmet – although we turned a few heads by following a Team Stevens time-honored tradition of using Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups instead of Hershey’s bars.  Even though the gathering lacked refinement, it definitely exuded magic.  The magic of life.  The magic of reconnecting.  The magic of celebrating.  The magic of the ordinary and the extraordinary thing called love.  That kind of magic will always make me smile.
  3. Amazing Friends – The week before Reed’s Run, I received a phone call from a dear friend who told me that she was praying for my Sunday.  It was a good thing that it was not a Skype conversation.  I stood mouth-apage with eyebrows raised in perplexity.  “Did she really think that the Run was Sunday?”  My silent indignation must have been perceivable through the phone line.  My friend further explained that she knew that Reed’s Run was probably the closest thing to a wedding that we would ever have for Reed.  She had been praying for me not to wake-up on Sunday and say disappointedly, “We went to all that work for that!”  I understood that sentiment of disappointment. She wanted us to wake up blessed and amazed.  (We did.) More importantly, this sweet lady wanted us to know that people were praying – even for things that we didn’t know.  Having friends that know your needs even before you know them is smile-worthy.

Feeling loved.  Being surprised, even when I knew I was  saying good-bye.  Having second mile friends.  Celebrating the little stuff.  All of it confirms something that I heard on the radio the other day.

The speaker said that we should all have “campaign signs” in our front yards that said that “God voted for me!”  My last few weeks have been a secure confirmation that the speaker spoke the truth!

Blessed and loved . . . and still smiling!