It’s Been Quite A Journey…

Thirty-one years ago, God blessed our family with the birth of a second child, a son.  Appropriately enough, I went to the hospital on Mother’s Day, but didn’t actually give birth until 4:07 the next morning.

Brett was a good baby.  He was usually smiling and happy.  Brett was an active baby, and actually began rolling over at the age of six weeks old!  However, Brett didn’t walk until after he turned a year old.  None of my babies did.

Some of my fondest memories of Brett are from when he was a small child. When he was about three, he learned how to sing “Amazing Grace”.  Occasionally, he would sing this song while we were out shopping.  This always caught people’s attention.  When he was little, he loved wearing suits to church, and used to say that he was going to be a preacher when he grew up.

As a young child, Brett learned the books of the Bible, along with the Lord’s Prayer. I was his Sunday School teacher when he requested to be baptized at age seven.  I was afraid Brett didn’t understand the meaning of what he was asking to do, but after he was questioned at length by his dad, we both agreed that Brett understood.  Brett was baptized soon afterward.  Our pastor, Brother John, used to find great delight in calling on Brett to say the Lord’s Prayer in church!

Brett is a very smart person and always did well in school, with minimal effort.  He rarely brought home any books, much to my dismay, but was always able to maintain very good grades.  One of Brett’s teachers once commented, “If I’ve ever seen a gifted child, Brett is one.”  Brett made perfect scores in reading and math on the standardized tests that year.

Time passed quickly, and before we knew it, Brett became a teenager. He lived and breathed to play basketball! All of his hard work and determination paid off when he was voted “most improved” during his sophomore year, and became a starter the following year.  For reasons I still don’t understand, Brett chose not to play ball his senior year.

Oh, what turbulent years Brett’s late teen years turned out to be!  He graduated high school with honors, and even won a full tuition scholarship for that first year of college, but some difficult times lay ahead.

Some of Brett’s friends, since childhood, had chosen the wrong path of life. Brett seemed to want to follow along.  Brett dropped out of college after his first year.  He wouldn’t hold a job.  His life seemed to be spiraling downward.  Brett became a head-strong, and at times, very disrespectful young man.  At our lowest point, I asked Brett to move out of the house, and he did.  After a few weeks, Brett briefly moved back home, but eventually asked to move in with his grandmother, who’d recently become a widow.

Brett always seemed to walk a fine line, teetering and tottering but never completely falling into deep trouble, like some of his friends.  There were many sleepless nights at our house, until Brett made his way through that dark place, and into the light on the other side.  In retrospect, I know that God was always watching over Brett.

In time, Brett took control of his life, and got back on the right path.  He credits his grandmother, with helping him, by giving him a soft place to land, while he made the transition from a boy to a man.

Brett eventually enrolled in school again, and sailed through, this time, with flying colors!  Brett impressed his instructor so much, he helped Brett get a good job after Brett finished school! While working at this job, Brett  met a young woman, who was instrumental in helping him to become the man I always knew he could be.  Brett worked hard, and when an even better job became available, the former instructor helped Brett, once again.

The past ten years have been a time continued time of growing and changing for Brett.  The change has been slow, and steady, but it’s been remarkable! It’s evident that God has been working in Brett’s life, and continues to do so.

Brett treats the people in his life with love and respect, and he’s a joy to have around!  He’s a devoted husband, and a patient, loving father to his two adorable little boys.  Brett is also a dedicated, hard-working employee, who continues to further his education, when I’m sure he’d rather be doing something else!  He’s an active Christian, who constantly strives to teach others about Jesus.

Yes, these last thirty-one years of life have taken Brett on quite a journey. I can’t wait to see what the next thirty years will bring.  I’m blessed to have been chosen to be his mom…

Happy Birthday, Brett!