HOT TUB TIME. It’s that time of year for our family, and our kids couldn’t be more excited. The changing leaves, the playing outside, the chill in the air, fires, so many different things that we all look forward to. (Time change, not so much.) On top of all that we do look forward to, it is the time of year of setting the hot tub up for the winter. Our family swimming pool, or as Lindsey would call it, “our time of noise and chaos.” The kids have been asking for a few weeks now, so this past week I was able to get it ready to go. Now, as I have shared before the word patience doesn’t really exist in our home so telling them they had to wait for the water to heat up they couldn’t get through their minds. Every single day for three days straight they would feel the water and then get upset why it wasn’t ready yet, oh the anticipation.
Finally, it was time and next thing I knew all 4 kids were changed and diving in. Water going everywhere, not realizing how much bigger they had gotten. The screaming and noise had commenced. As we were sitting there, all our heads now completely soaked the twins got in their mind that my hair needed cut, and they wanted to be the hairstylists. (Come on dad, of course wet hair must equal a haircut). I told you they have an imagination. Talk about an experience. Ellie was all gentle about it, pushing my hair back, to the side, staring at me about 5 inches from my face, while pretending to cut a little bit at a time. After a few minutes she smiled and said all done. Going along with it, I said “thank you so much, how’s it look?” Out of nowhere she replied with a giggle, “like a unicorn.”
Next thing I know Evi starts yelling and hip-checks Ellie out of the way, “my turn, my turn” as she begins yanking at my head back and forth. Where Ellie was gentle and clam, Evi was anything but that. I could feel it in my neck, with my hair getting pulled out. I was honestly thinking I was going to find clumps of the little hair I have left in her hands. Within a minute or so, I had to stop her with a more sarcastic, “oh thank you, how did it turn out?” Instead of the little giggle like her sister, Evi more steamed at me, “Like a dinosaur!”
What a difference between the two. Even though they are identical twins, their personalities at this point are completely opposite. Ellie is our dress up like a ferry unicorn for Halloween, gentle, play with dolls twin. Evi, on the other hand hand, is going to be our wild child. Spiderman, get covered in mud, tackle my sister, rough-houser. How can they be so different. We raise them the exact same way, they look exact, and most times it is hard to tell them apart. I may have a 50-50 chance at times to get them right. That is until personalities kick in.
Sitting there afterwards for a few moments though I kept thinking about how great it is that they are different, that we are all different. How marvelous it is that God designed us all with different gifts and personalities. Every trait, every aspect, He has shaped in His hand. Can you imagine with me a world where we all looked, acted, and responded in the same way. Can you say boring with me, a bunch of robots. In God’s master plan, He created us all unique, one of a kind. Some as rough-housers and some as gentle. All designed in His hand.
Praise God that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, so are you! Will you take a moment to praise Him now for that?
Psalms 139: 13-14, “YOU CREATED MY INMOST BEING, YOU KNIT ME TOGETHER IN MY MOTHER’S WOMB. I PRAISE YOU FOR I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE; YOUR WORKS ARE WONDERFUL.”