As I write this blog I am listening to three or four different versions of "I Surrender All." Matt Redman recently recorded a superb cover version of this song, which is to die for if you like old hymns turned into modern Christian songs. (Even if you don’t like old hymns turned into modern Christian songs, this song is very, very good, but sorry I don’t have a link to it right now!) Meanwhile, we had quite a good weekend but I was exhausted due to new developments in my life. I think the stress of the whole thing was finally released over the weekend and Saturday my body crashed. Saturday afternoon a birthday party took place. At left you’ll find all the gorgeous mothers who keep our building glued together… okay, a few of the gorgeous mothers are missing but this is a good snapshot. Regardless, something happened at this party that neither Tess nor myself was aware of… Sebastian wondered. I discovered this 24 hours later in the car.
Post-church we are on our way to the ABC, Tess was at home nursing a cold but meeting us at the Club. While sitting at a stoplight Sebastian said, "Daddee, I did something yesterday that I wasn’t supposed to do." Seb was sitting in the back seat of the car, so the triplets listened to this loud confession, too.
"Yes, Sebastian, what was that?" I inquired.
"Yesterday during the party **** and I went to his home when we weren’t supposed to," he explained.
"Aha, I see. So, yesterday during the playground party you went up to ****’s home without permission even though you knew that you shouldn’t leave the playground without letting us know?" I confirmed.
"Yes," Sebastian replied with some sheepish confidence.
"Hmmmm… well, Seb I have to tell you that I am very proud of you for being honest and telling me that you think you did something wrong. Thank you. Can I count on you to not do that again and tell me if you want to leave the playground?"
"Yes," Sebastian replied rather confidently.
"Thank you, Sebastian, and I am REALLY proud of you for telling me about this. I love you and I forgive you. If you pray about this, Jesus will forgive you, too." I explained.
"I already prayed to Jesus yesterday asking Him to forgive me," replied Sebastian.
"Wow, Sebastian, that’s even better," I said in astonishment.
On Sunday evening I recounted this story to Tess after the kids were in bed. Tess was amazed followed by silence. Then it was my turn, "You want to hear something shocking?" I asked Tess.
"What’s that?" she asked.
"I was younger than Sebastian when I tried my first cigarette," I said.
Tess shot THE LOOK at me with "I DON’T BELIEVE YOU."
"It’s true. On the cruise south to the Bahamas when I was six years old with my family, we were at the last port in Florida before sailing across to Nassau. I had befriended a boy about my age who must have swiped some cigarettes from somewhere. I took two drags but didn’t inhale and then we washed our mouths out with water from a hose. Shortly thereafter I went back to my family’s boat for dinner, completely terrified they’d smell the smoke on my breathe."
"That’s unbelievable," Tess retorted.
"I remember not liking it… probably a good thing," I said.
"I still don’t believe you," Tess murmered.
"I wonder where he got those cigarettes from?" I pondered…
Now I am listening to "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and going deep down memory lane… sigh.
Reader interactions
9 Replies to “Sebastian’s confession… or maybe mine”
Wow Charles…kids do bring us back to places we’ve forgotten a long time ago huh? I can’t wait to have my own now. 🙂 And I’m amazed at what Sebastien did cos he must have really thought about it, and it goes to show that the sense of right and wrong instilled in him has shone through! God bless.
Wow,, Good on Sebbie for coming clean with his little secret, I remember his mother blackmailing me for chocolate milks ( my entire allowance back then) for one month in order for her to not rat me out when she caught me at age 11….
Love to all xoxo
good on seb for confessing when no one pressed him to and good on you for showing grace and mercy. (oh, and glad ya hated the cigs….didn’t inhale…teehee, where have i heard THAT before?)
Oh No!This is dreadful!! Like father like son……….OK….like a certain grandfather too.
Love to all GDad Blake
Man you have some sexy ladies in your building!
During one particular jag I watched Oprah a lot and she had Faith Hill on one day. As a special request Oprah asked Faith to sing the song she was using as a warm-up pre-show as it was Oprah’s favorite. In fact Oprah recounted a whole story about it and how she used it at a particularly hard moment in life. Then Faith sang it and I saved that episode till my hard drive on Tivo failed. BEST recording of it I have ever heard but can’t find it on digital music.
I’ll check out the ones you just recommended though. Ta!
Hope you are recovering, sometimes you gotta take it easy on yourself. Have you ever tried yoga?
I love the photo of the 122 Girls!!! How I miss not being part it!
Lucy
Hey Charles. Just popped in after not ‘visiting’ for awhile. Lots of things going on by you! It’ll turn out just fine. Trust God! He wouldn’t have laid this all on you if He didn’t see the need for change!!
BUT can you post a sound bite of the song by Matt? I’d LOVE to hear it!!