Family

At the restaurant Saturday night, there was a little boy, maybe 7 or 8, who wanted to talk to me a lot. I found out his name was Walter. He was there with six adults, I believe almost all parents and grandparents. He called me his Captain, so I promptly nicknamed him Skipper.

We celebrated his dad's birthday, exchanged dog photos, and we even gave each other a side hug before he and his family left.

I don't know if I'll ever be a husband and father, but an occasion like this really got to me. He was just such a great kid. I found myself praying for him last night.

Not only that, but at school, I waited on a mom with two young, rambunctious boys, maybe five years old. One of them was getting a little upset at one point and I reached my right fist out to him. He bumped it and immediately smiled. In that moment, he was filled with joy. And because he felt that way, I felt the same way.

Like a lot of singles, I have moments when I want to be single and there are also moments when I wonder about what having a family would be like. And even though I may be on the verge of a relationship, it's a struggle still to be content with what I have and not yearn for what I don't.

But I feel glad that I can make a positive difference even if it's with strangers and people I may not see again. I can take a little bit of joy in that truth. And for now, maybe that's the sign of growth and the thing for me to be at peace with.

Question: How can God use my trials to bless those around me?