one day...

...the first time i ever saw ricky, we didn't actually meet. i was at the ball field to watch the church softball team play. i was so annoyed at this guy sitting three rows back on the bleachers...i tell my friend, "oh my gosh, he's so obnoxious!" but he tells his friend, "see that girl right there? 'one day' i am going to marry her."
...and "one day" he did.

he recalls growing up with people, friends, loved ones telling him, "one day, you're going to end up in prison or dead." he says, "statistically, i should....but one day i met Jesus. no longer do i live according to man's statistics, now i live according to God's plan."

one day he became a pastor. he loved telling people he was a pastor; partially because he loved being a pastor, but mostly because he loved to see the shock on people's faces who knew him before...they'd say, "i never thought i'd see 'this day'!"

he loved to preach. people would always say, "'one day' you're going to preach to the masses!" this frustrated him, "why 'one day'?! why not 'today'?!"

one day he baptized our oldest daughter. another day he baptized the other.

one day he was up. one day he was down....always up, then back down.

many days...he was broken, fallen, weak, sorry, sick, recovering, reckless, determined, bold, angry and always fighting his way back.

never a day...that he didn't tell his girls he loved them. never a day that he wasn't forgiven, wasn't funny, lost hope or wasn't loved.

today...he knows. today he is healed. today he is with his dad and his Dad. today is forever.

if you know what he knew, if you know his heart's story, if you listened at all...you will see him, laugh with him, love him again....

one day...

the roberts' remedy...

....the paper towel. more specifically, the wet paper towel.
as my children were growing up this was my cure all remedy. you have a fever? here's a wet paper towel. oh no, a scraped knee? here's a wet paper towel. that bug bite is itching and burning? a wet paper towel. everything from headaches, rug burns, smashed fingers, muscle aches, stumped toes, cuts, bruises, to runny noses, sun burn, chicken pox and even hurt feelings...the healing effects of the soothing wet paper towel made it all better. (this method also worked for cleaning dirty hands, dirty faces, messy counters, spills and hot sweaty feet)
today when my girls recall the paper towel days, they laugh. they think i was wacky and cheap. they think i lacked appreciation for commercial antidotes. while there is probably some truth to these assumptions, the benefits of using this form of medicine is not about the practicality, the cost effectiveness, or even the easy disposal...the best part was by far the application. this treatment wasn't always successful unless my arms were wrapped around them as i held the damp towel in place. the results weren't always positive if my voice wasn't calm and reassuring as i spoke words of comfort. and full recovery only occurred when i added gentle kisses and lots of love....and sometimes pizza.
one day they will likely practice this same technique. they will discover the secret. they will realize that behind something so seemingly simple like a paper towel lies something so much more meaningful. they will understand the power of a mommy's touch....
one wound at a time