Wednesdays with Peter

About a month I had an ingenious idea. I want to spend more time with Peter, just as I did with Erica when she was his age. For a while I watched Erica for a couple hours 2 or 3 days a week between her parents' work schedules. That's really how I got to know her and I don't want these years with Peter to pass by without taking advantage of every opportunity.

So, since it is summer and I'm working part-time, I decided I have the perfect set up to do this. My sister works 3 days a week and my mom watches Peter from 8:30 - 2:30. I'm going to pick him up after work on Wednesdays and spend 3-4 hours out and about doing something -- anything.

Yesterday I picked him up and we went to the Chamber of Commerce. We picked up tons of pamphlets and booklets and then went to my house, sat on the deck, and poured over the endless list of activities that will keep us occupied on Wednesdays beginning next week. I have dubbed this activity "Wednesdays with Peter" and plan to chronicle our adventures in a scrapbook.

We have a huge list so we'll have to pick and choose and honestly, some will require more than an afternoon so we'll squeeze in some Saturdays too. I am unbelievably excited! This is just another example of how my sister shares her babies.

But I also know this comes with responsibility. I couldn't love Peter and Erica any more if they were my own. I spend quite a chunk of time with them. That means how I live in front of them must match what I say is true about God. There is no room for hypocrisy as they form their own relationships with Christ. I don't take this lightly. I always have opportunity to apologize when I'm wrong about something, when I mis-speak, or when I don't treat people as I should. Even in the midst of less than perfect actions I can still reflect my Savior.

This is true of all my relationships and I am thinking about this in particular this week as Steve and I have a potentially sticky situation with an unbeliever and how we treat her and respond to her will really test any gaps between words and actions.