Checking on Investments

These good-looking people came to visit us this week. It was so fun to see them and such an honor to have them in our home. They are so precious to us because they were part of an amazing volunteer staff that worked with the high school group at the church where my husband and I grew up. Now that I am a “grown up” myself, their gift of love and time seems all the more sweet. They faithfully came to the church after work every Thursday night to listen to us talk about our days (against a backdrop of music that I am sure was too loud) and watch bizarre feats of adolescent challenge like swallowing goldfish and spinning around in circles after drinking a gallon of milk. They had us in their home for weekly bible study. And when my would-be husband and I thought it would be funny to let ourselves into their house and rearrange the furniture while they were at work (since we knew the secret location of the hide-a-key) they smiled and asked if we could stay for dinner. They took us water-skiing, used their vacation to come with us to camp, and made us feel important. I hope I said thanks. I probably didn’t.

Now their beautiful daughters are grown, the oldest is packing for college. A handful of states separate us. And yet they came to visit. We wandered around a u-pick flower garden together and introduced them to the local coffee venue before they continued on their way.

As part of the tour-of-our-town, we stopped by to show them my husband’s office where he spends his days helping people invest their income. At Mrs. J’s prompting, our kids took turns in Dad’s chair, doling out sage advice about how to invest her pretend money. Sis suggested she save it up, and use it to go somewhere God might want her to go someday. Peanut volunteered to spend it for her on undisclosed items needing refrigeration. And I thought about what good investments look like. Good investments give dividends. They grow over time. Ten years out, they are stronger and more valuable, having been under the watchful eye of the investor. I hope that is what our life looks like to these precious friends. I hope they can see that their investment in us has been growing in value. I hope they can recognize their prints on our marriage, our home, our children. Because we are so grateful. And if I knew how, I would say thanks.