A Blameless Heart

Happy It’s-gonna-be-good-y’all Saturday, friends!

(Yes, that was a nod to a certain social media cook).

But southern cooking is not the good I’m referring to today.

Today needs a little background.

When my favorite son was about 13 or so, we started doing “guy” trips. Just my boy and me sharing experiences, conversations, and food (always food).

When my favorite daughter blessed us with a son-in-law, our guy trips became a trio. With grown up boys, I wanted to pour myself into their lives as much as possible.

The guy trips got more adventurous—tubing/kayaking the Guadalupe River, hiking in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, zip lining and white water rafting in Colorado.

And food (always food).

Once grandchildren started arriving, the boys’ lives got fuller and more complex and—to make a long story short—our last “guy trip” was in 2015.

We still hang out regularly and we certainly do a lot of family stuff, but today is our first designated “guy day” in a very long time.

Even without leaving town, there will be adventure, conversation, and—you guessed it—food.

As I write, it’s about 2 hours from go time and I can’t wait!

They are both exceptional men, husbands, and fathers. They are successful in their careers and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

On rare occasions, they ask for advice. Only slightly more frequently, they ask my opinion. Often, they just tell me what’s going on because they want me to know and they trust me to listen.

What greater honor could I have?

This morning I read Psalm 101 and these words resonated with me:

I have lived long enough and observed and experienced enough to know that I could fake out a lot of people who only see me in public (or read my posts).

But those closest to me know whether the public guy and the private guy are the same.

Mrs. Sweetie knows it best.

But I can even hide some things from her if I work hard at it.

Psalm 101:2 reminds me to consider my inner motivation—to keep my heart blameless before the Lord and let that guide the way I conduct myself among those who see me in my most vulnerable moments.

When I blow it and choose the wrong response, do they still believe in me because they know my heart?

Do they still see a man who loves Jesus and who is quick to confess, apologize, and redirect?

My hymn text today is one we taught our kids early: “O how I love Jesus, because He first loved me!”

Whether I’m hanging with my boys on a “guy day” or kicking a soccer ball with my granddaughter as I did last night, or hunting Easter eggs with all the grands as we did last Sunday afternoon, or sitting on the sofa with my Sweetie as we do almost every evening—do they see a man whose love for Jesus drives every response?

That’s my prayer today for me.

And my prayer for you.

Be amazing today, my friend.