You're Gonna Miss This

Have you ever listened to a song and have it touch you!? Last night while Kait was babysitting for us Ryan and I went out for a date. After sharing a dessert after Sydney’s birthday cake we went for a quick ride around town on the motorbike. I had my earphones in listening to some music and I was touched by the words of a Trace Adkins song “You’re Gonna Miss This.”
Some days here in the Philippines I just can’t wait to get out of here, finish what we set out to do and come home… then other days I think I could stay here forever. As we were driving around last night I was watching some kids running after some bike tires chasing them down the street and laughing, watching the daddies dance with their babies to keep them from crying and watching people gather on the side of the roads to chat with their friends. Every now and then you drive through a cloud of smoke that smells of mouth watering Chicken BBQ and then the smell from the bakeries that line the street. I was looking at how green and beautiful the city can be with the tropical palm trees, mango trees and beautiful dark faces smiling up at us with shock from seeing us white folks speeding by. As I’m listening to this song and seeing these things it hit me how much this is apart of who we are now and who are kids will become and how much whenever it is that we come home, we’re really going to miss this and wish it didn’t go by so fast and some days want it back. Realizing how quickly our kids are growing, one becoming quite the handsome little man and the other a delightful handful who believes she runs the show. Thinking of all our family who is missing this and hoping that they understand why this is the right thing for us right now. The song helped me to stop and think for moment of how wonderful things are, even on those days that are especially difficult and how I need to slow down and take in those beautiful kids of mine. How quickly the beauty of the lush green tropics becomes ordinary…
I’m extremely thankful for the time that we have over here. I know that it’s an opportunity few get and I can see the great changes it has had in our lives and how much we’ve grown since we’ve been out here. Our kids are learning how unimportant it is to be different; sometimes I actually think they believe they too have brown skin and black hair. I know they are young and won’t remember a lot of it but I know that the influence of these young years is so important and I know that they are learning that will prepare them to great leaders and friends. Unjudmental of peoples differences and filled with empathy and a desire to serve. They will be able to relate to minorities in a way that many people cannot and I hope that things will benefit them in the future.

I’ve added this song “You’re Gonna Miss This” to the MP3 player on the sidebar and I invite you all to have a listen!.