Date Night, I'll try not to make you jealous

Jon says I'm not supposed to tell everyone that on Friday nights my parents get their first, and only, granddaughter for a sleepover, and Mommy and Daddy get to go out, or stay in, just the two of us.  I'm not supposed to tell you because my parents won't be able to handle the influx of free babysitting gigs that come their way when word gets out of what a suh-weeeet deal they're offering.  Or maybe it's just so that you don't all keel over with envy. 

It's such a lovely setup that when Jon and I ever throw around the idea of relocating, it's always the first thing that cuts off the conversation, but "the Bulos are in Louisville..." "The Bulos" is what Angie calls my parents, an accidentally shortened version of abuelos, Spanish for grandparents. And it isn't just my parents that help out, Tia Beth and sometimes even Tio Byron, also enjoy movie night with Angie while Jon and I get some alone time.

 

I've yet to understand couponing (generics always seem cheaper), but these two items' coupons were "Free" no strings attached, so it made for a great surprise brunch date at Jon's office.

If we were keeping score, I'd want to make clear that we are really still trying to catch up with normal couples. Because of our unique extenuating romantic circumstances, Jon and I probably went on about five dates before we got engaged and only maybe two of those were before we had a nine year-old sitting between us every other time we were together. And I'll admit, sometimes when it's just the two of us, and it's so quiet and peaceful, we think about what it would have been like to be just newlyweds and not parents, and sometimes we are envious of many of you.

Dinner and a movie, cozy at home by the fire.

But that is exactly why God tells us not to compare ourselves with others. If Jon and I can shut out the tranquil silence of moments like those, we remember that God never asked us to choose the easiest most comfortable path. He never called us to a life of snuggling on the couch, living for our own pleasure, or seeking our own happiness. He called us to sacrifice. As we were reminded of so beautifully by Winter Jam and Dave Stone this weekend, we're to live recklessly abandoned, sold-out to Jesus, lives of love. If sacrifice is an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy, then giving up a little serenity, and often sanity, is a sacrifice we'll accept. After all, date night wouldn't be nearly so special if it were every night.  

"...Give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him." - Romans 12:1