Comfortable Changes

When I first starting having children, I recall someone telling me that the second I felt like I had the hang of things, they would quickly change, keeping me on my toes (and knees). While this is true for most kids, our Super Early, Super Strong, Levi Joe doesn't come with the same patterns as standard children. We sometimes say he has "special needs" when describing him to strangers, but this doesn't accurately define his personality or personal differences. Levi isn't a "special needs" child in the way our society would understand that label, but his specialties simply require a degree of study that exists only through constant relational exposure. Take his sleep cycles for instance. Sometimes Levi wants to mummify himself in his covers until he falls asleep and can wake up fully soaked to the bone from sweat. Sometimes he wants to smash the right side of his body into the side of an armchair in order to relax and fall asleep (much like he was positioned in utero). Other times he prefers laying on the hard floor with no pillows, no blankets and nothing but a book under his arm in order to rest easily. We constantly ask Levi to do things that we think will benefit his overall strength and comfort, but often times the things we think are useful for him are actually, in his opinion, quite unpleasant. It reminds me of the old movie Cast Away: after years of sleeping on the hard beach floor, Tom Hanks' character is uncomfortable when he finally receives a soft bed after his rescue. He tosses and turns until he resorts to sleeping on the hard floor in peace and tranquility. He had to relegate himself to what felt comfortable to him, not his surroundings.
My eldest son was just asking me about the difference between FACT and OPINION, and it was difficult for him to see that some things that seem like facts are, in fact, (pun intended), opinions.  I.e. Beds are comfortable- FACT or OPINION? I believe it is a FACT that all humans desire a certain level of physical and emotional comfort. However, the mode of comfort is objective. Recently, I heard a pastor speak about the importance of stepping outside our "comfort" zones in order to reach people around the country and world with the Truth of the Gospel. Stepping outside what is natural and comfortable looks different for everyone. Getting up at five in the morning is very natural for some and very uncomfortable for others. Eating dinner on the floor is normal in some cultures and horrifying to others. Raising four boys makes some people shutter and others jump for joy.
The point is that we constantly evaluate whether we are living in a state of ritual comfort that numbs us to the needs around us. If we can begin to force ourselves to be somewhat uncomfortable, we achieve new lenses of accuracy. In other words, when your accustom to calling scraps of metal, precious gold, then you miss out on the treasures actually in existence.
It also points us to focus on our own planks. I would never want my discomfort in raising four little boys to be compared with that of a mother who has had twelve babies in the African Sahara. Likewise, we cannot judge others for not living our same lives. None of us is the perfect judge.
"Why do you look at the speck of dust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take that speck out of your eye' when all the while you have a plank in your eye. You hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3-5).
Thus, personal introspection is key to proper vision-- as our vision and bodies fail with age, our objective becomes clearer and clearer when refocused. Focus on becoming more like Christ, not becoming more comfortable with your surroundings because those will constantly change as you grow.
And since we are all still growing, we decided to dress up for Halloween as "when I grow up." We want to be...

Diver, Chef, Golfer, Writer, Batman and Train driver!
Happy Birthday to my main man here too!

We love Daddy's b-day and fall, and all things related to both.

It's that time... they just keep growing in size and number.

Loved being a small part of the Kyra Karr Foundation Prayer walk this weekend too (a little too bright and early for some). 

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to fit them all in here again, but it was worth the fun pic!

Look who joined the forward facing crew!

Pretty typical Luca face... full cheeks, observing life.

Nothing like pumpkin-picking day!

Levi's fall festival day is a close second!

Since Levi exclaims that he IS a chef now, he needs to help with all the cooking!

Go for it dude

(Thankful for kid knives!)

Set up alone takes way longer than it should with these boys, but it's about the memory-building, right?

This one loves getting gooey.

This one hates it. He just ate bread while we worked.

Up to his elbows in pumpkin!

Silas decided they needed some painting stations while daddy carved with adult knives. I liked that plan!

Not too messy, but wrong side of the canvas. :D Typical Ro

 

Finally did it! Great Halloween and Daddy day!

We head back to CHOA tomorrow to re-scope Luca and give Roman some new ear tubes. Please pray all goes smoothly with two under anesthesia simultaneously!

~Comfort Buster